Bill > HB3331

This bill makes several changes related to the procedures and grounds for terminating the parent-child relationship, taking possession of a child, and certain hearings in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship involving the Department of Family and Protective Services. Key provisions include: - Prohibiting a court from considering certain factors, like homeschooling or economic disadvantage, when terminating parental rights or taking possession of a child. - Requiring the court to consider whether the immediate danger to the child's physical health and safety outweighs the emotional distress from disrupting the parent-child relationship when deciding whether to remove a child from the home. - Establishing timelines for the Department of Family and Protective Services to file suits and render final orders in these types of cases. - Allowing the court to order parents to participate in services to address abuse or neglect and ensure the child's safety, with provisions for appointing attorneys and holding hearings. - Applying these changes only to suits filed by the Department on or after the effective date of October 1, 2019.