Bill > S827

This bill amends existing law, specifically Section 56a of Chapter 215 of the General Laws, to improve training for child advocates, referred to as guardians ad litem (GALs), in recognizing indicators of domestic violence. A GAL is an individual appointed by a court to represent the best interests of a child in legal proceedings, often in custody disputes. The bill mandates that all child custody cases referred to a GAL must include a domestic violence screening assessment. This assessment requires a judge to search the statewide domestic violence record-keeping system, maintained by the office of the commissioner of probation, to check for any civil or criminal records involving domestic violence before making a decision. Furthermore, all appointed GALs will be required to complete a minimum of 24 hours of professional development training for their certification, with at least 8 of those hours specifically focused on identifying the indicators of domestic violence, and this training must be provided by an approved domestic violence organization. The bill also establishes a process for filing formal complaints regarding the competency of an appointed GAL, which can be submitted to a judge in private.