|
AUSTIN – Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Brandon Logan, director of the Center for Families and Children, will tesify against House Bill 596 and in support of House Bill 3297. Mr. Logan will testify on both bills before the Texas House Juvenile Justice & Family Issues Committee TODAY, Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. CDT or upon final House adjournment in room E2.016 of the Texas State Capitol. On HB 596: "Children in the permanent custody of the state do not have parents to protect them and prepare them for the future," said Mr. Logan. "Those children need attorneys to help them seek redress from the courts that have effectively become their parents and to ensure they have a voice in decisions affecting their lives and futures. We oppose HB 596 because it allows courts to discharge attorneys for children when they are needed most––after children become wards of the state." On HB 3297: "Removal and foster care are not innocuous events for children but have long-lasting psychological impact," said Mr. Logan. "In addition to improving the quality of foster care for children who need it, the state must ensure that children are not being separated from their families unnecessarily. The state is often too quick to remove children from home when safe alternatives exist. HB 3297 keeps more than 1,700 children safely at home each year and increases procedural protections for families."
|