Attempted homicide of a parent as a ground for involuntary termination of parental rights and evidence necessary to support homicide or attempted homicide of a parent as a ground for involuntary termination of parental rights

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

This bill adds attempted homicide of a child's parent as a ground for involuntarily terminating a person's parental rights to the child and allows the ground of homicide or attempted homicide of a parent to be based on evidence produced at a fact-finding hearing, not only a judgment of conviction.

Under current law, in a proceeding for involuntary termination of parental rights (TPR), the court assigned to exercise jurisdiction under the Children's Code must determine whether grounds exist for TPR. One of the grounds for TPR under current law is that the person whose parental rights are sought to be terminated has been convicted of first-degree or second-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, or solicitation to commit first-degree intentional homicide and the child's parent was the victim or intended victim. This bill adds attempted first-degree or second-degree intentional homicide of a parent to this ground. The bill also adds that, with respect to first-degree or second-degree intentional homicide, reckless homicide, or attempted homicide of a parent, the evidence necessary to prove the ground includes evidence produced at the TPR fact-finding hearing that the person committed or attempted homicide of the parent as an alternative to a judgment of conviction.

Who's behind it

3 senators are its authors⁠. 2 are Democrats and 1 is a Republican.

5 more lawmakers signed on in support⁠.