Lawmakers look to avoid bill glut

In an effort to avoid a repeat next year of the bill glut this year, members of the Legislature's Child Welfare Oversight Committee said Thursday they want lawmakers to approach them first with proposed changes in the system.

"What is the purpose of this committee if people are just going to throw out bills happenstance," said Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan.

Mascaro and others on the committee said they were dismayed that so many substantial child welfare changes were proposed during the 2004 session, which in 45 days, did not give lawmakers adequate time to consider their potential impact.

"Many of these were brought forward after the session started," said Sen. Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake. "That is what created the problem."

In all, 50 bill files were opened related to child welfare. Of the 30 that actually became bills, 17 passed.

"I am glad there was some restraint and some control," Mascaro said. "This committee has the responsibility of oversight."

Rep. David Litvak, D-Salt Lake, said the bills that proposed "huge policy shifts" did not have adequate time for debate on the resulting implications, something that troubled him. "There was this push to move too fast."

One of the measures that did pass, HB140, enacted substantial changes to the system but was ultimately vetoed by Gov. Olene Walker.

Mascaro and the others want to work through those provisions in the bill sponsored by Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, that brought objections by Walker.

"Apparently there was support in both houses so we might as well go down a path of investigating the governor's concerns," Mascaro said.

Among other things, Christensen's measure made appointment of a Guardian Ad Litem optional in child welfare cases. That office represents the legal interest of a child taken into state custody because of abuse or neglect. The bill also gave parents the ability to remove a Guardian Ad Litem representative from a case and required a legislative audit of the office's compliance with statutory duties.

Richard Anderson, director of the state Division of Child and Family Services, said overall, he was pleased with the outcome of the session and that some positive changes were put in place.

He said much of the frenzy came from supporters who had not bothered to learn how DCFS works.