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S.B. 185 Child Welfare Parental Representation Program Amendments: transcript

Everything said about this bill in committee and on the floor, speaker by speaker. Each time links to that moment in the official video. Back to the bill: summary and every vote →

Transcribed from the Legislature's recordings by software, with speakers identified from the video; it can contain errors. Check the recording before quoting anyone.

Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Feb 3, 2026

  1. Committee chair45:47

    Okay, we approve the minutes. Senator Harper.

  2. Sen. Wayne A. Harper45:50

    Thank you. Um, we've had for a number of years, the, uh, office of, uh, child welfare parental representation. The program there administered under, uh, the, uh, under the IDC. And what this bill is, it, it goes through and after running through things currently, we, the program has, you know, is required to contract this. Now with the staff being trained and everything, it allows the, uh, the current staff to operate the program, um, and administer the, uh, the, the, uh, uh, the support and everything that is needed. And it clarifies. The other thing that it does is that, um, instead of, uh, preparing a budget of, of estimated it actually based on the priors expenses. So it clarifies and makes the budget much more tighter. And that's what the bill does.

  3. Committee chair46:45

    Okay. Ready to committee for any questions? See none. We'll go to the public. Discuss this bill. See none. We'll bring it back to the committee for further action. Senator Plumb.

  4. Sen. Jen Plumb47:02

    Uh, thank you Mr. Chair. I'd like to move that we favorably recommend out Senate Bill 180 5 to the full body of the Senate.

  5. Committee chair47:09

    Okay. Would you like to discuss that? Oh, no. Thank you. Okay. Discussion to the motion back to the maker of the Earth. Sponsor the bill.

  6. Unknown speaker47:16speaker not certain

    Oh, I appreciate This board. Back to make a motion. I'll wait. Okay.

  7. Committee chair47:20

    The motion for us is to pass out favorably SB 180 5. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Passes. Thank you. This is, uh, right for consent. It is. If, if there's a motion there. It looks like Senator Plumb is reading your mind.

  8. Sen. Jen Plumb47:36

    Senator Plumb. I Would like to move that we place Senate Bill 180 5 on the consent calendar.

  9. Committee chair47:41

    Okay. All in favor? Place on consent, say aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Okay. Thank you very much. Okay, next up is Senator Wilson. But looks like the only one in the room is early Bird gets warm.

House Judiciary Committee, Feb 17, 2026

  1. Committee chair (presiding)1:02:46

    Okay, we'll move to the next item on the agenda, which is SB 180 5, child Welfare Parental Representation Program amendments. Senator Harper, welcome.

  2. Sen. Wayne A. Harper1:03:00

    Thank you. Um, to those who are in the committee this morning, I apologize. This bill is not over 200 pages, it's just one sheet of paper, so not characteristics of me. This bill goes through and, and clarifies the, uh, child welfare, parental representation, what their duties are and what they should be doing. There've been a couple questions, uh, but basically provide support for ancient parental defense services and administered the par the Parental, uh, representation program. We've restructured a little bit and I think it's more clear on what their duties are. That was a short presentation for a 200 page bill. Well, This one's short bill. Yeah.

  3. Committee chair (presiding)1:03:52

    Okay. Um, thank you Senator. Back to the committee for questions or discussion.

  4. Rep. Bridger Bolinder1:03:57speaker not certain

    Representative Boxier. Thank You. Mad chair. So just a couple questions if you don't mind. As always. Go ahead. Um, so this is how, how were they getting funded before, if now that's gonna be subject to appropriation, wouldn't it have already been subject to appropriation? They're,

  5. Sen. Wayne A. Harper1:04:13

    Yeah. Good. Great question. They are subject to appropriation. This does not, uh, change that, uh, but it goes through and clarifies, um, that if you look at line 44, it's based on the amount expended in the prior year. So they based their contracts on what they have right now, rather than saying, oh, we think we're gonna get more, therefore we'll do another contract or something like that. It's more fiscally responsible.

  6. Rep. Bridger Bolinder1:04:41speaker not certain

    Okay. Alright. Thank you.

  7. Committee chair (presiding)1:04:44

    Thank you Representative Acton.

  8. Rep. Cheryl K. Acton1:04:48

    Thank you Madam Chair. Um, you know, they, I feel like it was recently they added the social worker component to parental representation program and I think it's been a great innovation. So I wondered if that is a part of this.

  9. Sen. Wayne A. Harper1:05:04

    No, it just separate it deals. That's, that's a separate issue. Yes.

  10. Rep. Cheryl K. Acton1:05:07

    Okay. Thank you. Thank you Representative.

  11. Committee chair (presiding)1:05:10

    Seeing no further lights, we'll move to public comment. Is there anyone in the audience who would like to speak to this bill? Seeing no hands. Anyone online. Alright. We have a quiet committee today. Okay. We're back to the committee for further discussion or potential action. Representative Acton.

  12. Rep. Cheryl K. Acton1:05:36

    Thank you. I I'd like to make a motion that we pass out favorably SB 180 5, child Welfare Parental Representation Program amendments to the house.

  13. Committee chair (presiding)1:05:48

    Thank you. The motion is to favorably recommend SB 180 5. Would you like to speak to that?

  14. Rep. Cheryl K. Acton1:05:54

    I just think that, um, you know, I remember learning when I first came in that the two things that are so, um, monumental in a person's life or can be, are being, you know, loss of their own liberty through incarceration and then loss of parental rights, or, you know, rights to your own children. And so those two things have to be weighed so carefully, and that's why we have this great representation program. And, um, I just think it's so important and I'm glad that they continue to refine it and make it better. And that's why I, I urge everyone to support this.

  15. Unknown speaker1:06:36speaker not certain

    All right. Thank you to the sponsor. It's an important program and I think these little tweaks will refocus and refine what they're doing.

  16. Committee chair (presiding)1:06:45

    Okay. Discussion to the motion. Seeing no lights. We'll have a roll call Vote. Representative Abbott. Aye. Acton. Er aye. Gracious. Yes. Hawkins? Yes. Lube? Yes. Manga? Yes. Millard? Yes. Thompson? Yes. Clancy? Yes. Libe. Aye. That motion passes unanimously. Thank you very much. Thank you, Senator.

  17. Committee chair (presiding)1:07:19

    Um, we will now move to, do we have Senator Weiler in the room? Doesn't look like we do.

  18. Committee chair (presiding)1:07:54speaker not certain

    Thank you, representative gracious. Join me.

Senate floor, Feb 9, 2026

  1. Sen. Wayne A. Harper10:33

    support pre uh, parental representation, attorney support, INGEN parental defense, and a adminis existing, uh, interdisciplinary programs. There just need to be a clarification as to the duties. And this is a cleanup.

  2. President Adams (presiding)10:50

    Thank you for the presentation. Did I get a motion there, Senator? Yeah,

  3. Unknown speaker10:55speaker not certain

    I moved that Senate Bill 180 5 pass.

  4. President Adams (presiding)10:57

    Thank you. And the question is, and again, we're on consent. There's no debate. The question is, shall Senate bill one eighty five pass Roll call

  5. Senate clerk11:04

    Vote. Senator Vickers Baldry B in Brammer bus Aye. Comore Escamia Aye. Fillmore Grover Harper Aye. Hankins Aye. Ipson a Johnson Aye. Juab McKay Aye. Mikel Aye. Milner Musselman Aye. Owens pitcher Plum rebe a Sandal Aye. Stevenson Stratton Aye. Vickers Weiler Wilson. Aye. Winterton Aye. President Adams Aye. Senate

  6. President Adams (presiding)11:53

    bill 85 Having received 24 yay votes, zero nay votes. Five being absent passes, this body will be sent to the house for their consideration. Let's now move to the third reading calendar.

House floor, Feb 19, 2026

  1. Speaker (presiding)1:00:36

    Senate Bill 180 5, child Welfare Parental Representation Program Amendments by Senator Harper. This bill was heard in judiciary with a vote of 11 0 0. The House sponsors Representative Shipp. Representative Shipp.

  2. Rep. Rex P. Shipp1:00:50

    Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The SB 180 5 addresses the Child Welfare App Parental Representation program. It expands the responsibilities of that this program to strengthen training, support, and coordination for all attorneys who represent parents in child welfare cases. It also adds budget transparency requirements, but does not appropriate new funding. So it requires the program to provide education and training for all, uh, parental representation. Attorneys directs the program to support indigent parent defense services through the Indigent Defense Commission. Grant process assigns responsibility for administering the Interdisciplinary Parental Representation program and requires the executive director to include prior year spending on parent representation programs and contracts in the budget. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

  3. Speaker (presiding)1:01:53

    Thank you, Representative Shipp discussion to the bill. Seeing none. Uh, back to your Representative, Shipp for summation.

  4. Rep. Rex P. Shipp1:02:03

    I'll waive Summation is in waive board.

  5. Speaker (presiding)1:02:04

    Will now be open on SB 180 5. All present. Oh, all present Having voted. Voting is now closed. SB 180 5 passes by Senator one. Yes. Votes one, no vote will be, uh, sent to the signed by speaker sent to the Senate for the signature of the President, Madam Meeting Clerk