CHILD WELFARE WORKERS LOCAL 412

OREGON PUBLIC EMPLOYEES UNION

Legislative Bill Tracking Summary

1997 session

updated: 6 July 1997 [FINAL]

SENATE BILLS:

  1. Completes transfer from CSD to SCF. PASSED 4-18-97. Reps Corcoran & Carter only votes against.
  1. Silly bill requiring training of all employess in all office procedures regarding children, and prohibits "retaliatory activity" against anyone--including any employee who complains about anything. Referred to Crime & Corrections 1-15-97; DOA.
  1. Requires SCF to supply copies of records to intervenors, perpetrators, children within a few days. Referred to Business, Law and Government 1-20-97; DOA. NOT PASSED.

 

  1. Requires use of Family Group Conference Model; allows any relative to file as intervenor. Similar to HB 2787; referred to Health & Human Services committee, then Business, Law & Government committee 1-20-97. No hearings scheduled. NOT PASSED, but see 2787, which did pass.

 

  1. Allows any person with an "established, ongoing personal relationship" to intervene in adoption, custody and other cases. [Senator BROWN, at request of Mark KRAMER]; sent to Business, Law & Government committee; Public hearing was held 4-24-97. This got gutted and stuffed late in the session, and now deals only with child care providers and home schooling law changes.

 

  1. Marilyn SHANNON [thank God she didn't get a children's committee to chair!] introduced this bill to specifically exclude Kay TORAN as director of SCF, require CASA's to be attorneys, allow most anyone into adoption records, and a host of other ill-conceived and mean-spirited proposals. Mercifully sent off to Crime & Corrections 2-27-97; DOA, no hearings.

 

  1. Allows grandparents to have visitation rights after adoption. [another Mark KRAMER-requested law]. Shuffled off to Business, Law & Government committee 3-10-97; NOT PASSED.

 

  1. Changes standard for court review of child's placement to "best interests of the child"; from Business, Law & Government committee; passed. PASSED. Reads:

ORS 419B.349 is amended to read:

419B.349. Commitment of a child to the Children's Services Division does not terminate the court's continuing jurisdiction to protect the rights of the child or the child's parents or guardians. Notwithstanding ORS 419B.337 (4), if upon review of a placement of a child made by the Children's Services Division, the court determines that the placement is not in the best interest of the child, the court may direct the Children's Services Division to place the child in a specific type of residential placement, but the actual planning and placement of the child shall be the responsibility of the Children's Services Division. Nothing in this section affects any contractual right of a private agency to refuse or terminate a placement.

 

  1. BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD legislation. Shortens up timelines for termination of parental rights, requires more documentation from SCF to show all efforts to help parents adjust circumstances. Passed Senate 27-1 [HANNON voted no]; now at House, in Judiciary committee 4-18-97. Original was almost identical to HB 2718. PASSED.

 

  1. Introduced by STULL, SHANNON & MILNE [Marion county SCF bashers] to abolish AFS, CSD and SCF, and create new Family Services Division. They just don't get it.... Referred to Health & Human Services; DOA 3-18-97. NOT PASSED.

 

 

HOUSE BILLS

 

  1. Changes standard of court review of placement of child to "best interest of child". Referred to Judiciary, subcommittee on Family Law; amended and sent to House floor 4-25-97. NOT PASSED, but similar to SB 643, which did pass.

 

  1. Grandparent's rights; requires preference to grandparents for placement; does not change agency policy on certification. In House Children & Families committee; a favorite of sole sponsor, Rep VanLEEUWEN. PASSED; governor signed 7-2-97.

 

  1. Another VanLEEUWEN bill, a clone of SB 52; had one hearing 3-26-97 in Judiciary subcommittee on Family Law. NOT PASSED.

 

  1. Requires SCF to prepare notices and serve them on parents at each stage of court or "administrative proceeding". Passed out of Family Law, sent to House Floor 4-25-97. NOT PASSED, but some of the notice language got into HB 3570.

 

  1. Clone of original SB 689, BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD Legislation; now getting worked over in same committee as 689-A engrossed [Judiciary subcommittee on Criminal Law]. See 689.

 

  1. Clone of SB 53, which is inactive in Senate. Numerous work sessions in House Children & Families committee in late April. Amendments are making it palatable, protecting the rights of children and requiring a finding that making records available is in the best interests of the child. PASSED.

 
  1. Clone of SB 54, requiring Family Group Meetings, with written plans and recommendations. Numerous work sessions in late April in House Children & Families Committee; expect a bill, with the most obnoxious items toned down [no more allowing alleged perps and totally dysfunctional family members into the meetings]. PASSED.

 

  1. Inspector General Bill, introduced by Rep Patti MILNE. Had a lot of public hearings in House Children & Families Committee, but would mostly duplicate existing Governor's Advocacy Office, is not supported by the Governor, and would cost a mint if instituted the way a couple of Reps want--with the legislature hiring people to follow up on the IG's reports. Watch it die--Republicans aren't going to spend that kind of money. NOT PASSED.

 

  1. Rep VanLEEUWEN's effort to move adoptions, licensing, and "supportive services for children and families" from SCF to AFS. Her committee {House C&F] held a couple of hearings, but this is dying for lack of funds and supporters; i.e., no one liked it. NOT PASSED.

 

  1. Creates Child Protection Board in SCF to review decisions of employees and investigate complaints. Dying for lack of support and money. Sponsor Rep VanLEEUWEN held a couple of public hearings, but doesn't really want the watchdog in the house, so to speak, and she really wants some body with POWER to overturn caseworker and agency decisions. Legislators and others testified that the number of complaints about SCF is way down. The chronic complainers [session after session] are not appeased, however. NOT PASSED.

 

  1. The ultimate user-fee-driven funding source for children's programs: Rep LEHMAN of Coos Bay wants to charge up-to-$100 fines against any kid who doesn't attend school--per day missed!

 

    1. Court will notify parents of obligation to support child and his/her attorney while in state custody. PASSED.

 
    1. DHR budget bill. So far, so good; but the Republicans built their budget proposal on a plan to "find an extra 5 million somewhere to cut", and the likely place is DHR, with possible reductions in SCF's funds. This most likely plays out as delayed implementation, held-open vacancies, and poorly-covered caseloads--all while we implement and document "family group conference models" on almost every case. PASSED, SCF INTACT.

 

 

Comments and interpretation by Mike RANSOM, Local 412 Secretary

 

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