Vermont H 36: An act relating to family forensic evaluators

Bill Text

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.36
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VT LEG #379241 v.1
H.36 1
Introduced by Representatives Goodnow of Brattleboro and LaLonde of South 2
Burlington 3
Referred to Committee on 4
Date: 5
Subject: Judiciary; Family Division of the Superior Court; forensic evaluators 6
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to request the 7
Chief Superior Judge, the Office of Professional Regulation, and the Vermont 8
Psychological Association to make recommendations to the General Assembly 9
regarding increasing the availability of family forensic evaluators to assist the 10
court in complex cases involving child welfare and parenting matters. 11
An act relating to family forensic evaluators 12
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 13
Sec. 1. FAMILY FORENSIC EVALUATOR RECOMMENDATIONS 14
(a) Family forensic evaluators are mental health professionals who conduct 15
evaluations for the purposes of providing information to attorneys, judges, and 16
state agencies in child welfare and parenting matters. Such evaluators are an 17
important resource in the Family Division of the Superior Court in complex 18
cases involving parental rights and responsibilities. A current lack of such 19

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.36
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VT LEG #379241 v.1
evaluators hinders the ability of the judicial system to expeditiously resolve 1
matters before the court in a manner that serves the best interests of children. 2
(b) The General Assembly requests that the Chief Superior Judge, the 3
Director of the Office of Professional Regulation, and the Executive Director 4
of the Vermont Psychological Association work collaboratively to examine the 5
following: 6
(1) the extent of the need for and geographic distribution of family 7
forensic evaluators in complex parental rights and responsibilities cases heard 8
in the Family Division; 9
(2) barriers to increasing the availability of family forensic evaluators in 10
Vermont and whether protections regarding ethical complaints are warranted; 11
and 12
(3) strategies for increasing the number of family forensic evaluators in 13
Vermont. 14
(c) The General Assembly requests that the parties listed in subsection (b) 15
of this section submit their recommendations to the General Assembly on or 16
before November 1, 2025. 17
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 18
This act shall take effect on passage. 19