Rep. Scanlon Introduces Right to Representation Act to Guarantee Lawyers in Child Welfare Cases
The Right to Representation Act is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means for review. The bill is actively moving forward as it waits for the committee to discuss its next steps.
While child welfare is often a bipartisan issue, this bill creates a new mandate for states that could be expensive and difficult to implement, making it hard to pass without broad support.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Parents with criminal records are disproportionately involved in the child welfare system and often face child protection proceedings without adequate legal help. Guaranteed legal representation would help these parents navigate complex court processes and have a fairer chance at maintaining or regaining custody of their children.
“an attorney is made available to provide independent legal representation to any individual who is involved in the proceeding by reason of being a parent or guardian”
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Right to Representation Act
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