Bill Text: MS SB2557 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Termination of parental rights; create parent representation pilot projects.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2015-02-03 - Died In Committee [SB2557 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2015-SB2557-Introduced.html

---

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2015 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division B

By: Senator(s) Tollison

Senate Bill 2557

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF COURTS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICE TO COORDINATE THE EFFORTS OF THE PARENT REPRESENTATION PILOT PROJECTS; TO PROVIDE A CERTAIN DEFINITION; TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES, AND CERTAIN COUNTIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROJECTS, TO COLLECT CERTAIN DATA PERTAINING TO ABUSE AND NEGLECT CASES AND TO REQUIRE THE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF COURTS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  (1)  The Administrative Office of Courts and the Department of Human Services shall coordinate the efforts of the Parent Representation Pilot Projects, as defined in this section, to collect data relating to the impact that providing legal representation for low-income parents may have on the operation of the youth court system and the foster care system in this state.

     (2)  As used in this section, "Parent Representation Pilot Projects" means the pilot programs that the youth courts in Adams, Forrest, Harrison and Rankin Counties, and any other county that may join the project, assist indigent parents by providing free legal representation in youth court hearings in which allegations of abuse or neglect could result in court-ordered removal of children from the custody of their parents.

     (3)  The Mississippi Department of Human Services and the youth courts that have Parent Representation Pilot Projects, as defined under subsection (1) of this section, shall collect and then provide to the Administrative Office of Courts information that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

          (a)  The number of abuse and the number of neglect cases handled by the youth court;

          (b)  The number of children taken into custody by the Department of Human Services and placed in foster care;

          (c)  The number of days that children spent in foster care;

          (d)  The average daily cost of foster care;

          (e)  The number of cases in which court-appointed counsel was provided to indigent parents;

          (f)  The cost of providing legal representation to indigent parents; and

          (g)  The number of days that children spent in foster care when their parent or parents were provided with court-appointed counsel.

     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2015.