HBA-LCA C.S.S.B. 609 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.S.B. 609 By: Lindsay Juvenile Justice & Family Issues 4/28/1999 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Current law requires an attorney ad litem representing a child to conduct interviews with people having significant knowledge of the child's history and condition, and with the child if the child is more than four years old. C.S.S.B. 609 requires that the attorney ad litem also interview a child's caregivers, such as a foster family or substitute family, as another source for background on the child. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Section 107.014(b), Family Code, to require an attorney ad litem appointed to represent a child to interview individuals with significant knowledge of the child's history, including the child's foster parents. Makes conforming changes. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 1999. Makes application of this Act prospective. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE The substitute modifies the original in SECTION 1 by combining former Subdivisions (2) and (3) to require an attorney ad litem to interview certain individuals, including a child's foster parents, rather than "caregivers," as proposed in the original. Makes a conforming change.