STATEHOUSE (Feb. 23, 2016) –The Senate today unanimously passed a bill, authored by State Rep. David Frizzell (R-Indianapolis), which would create a more efficient system for parents and legal guardians making guardianship decisions for their children.
House Bill (HB) 1183, would allow for parents or guardians with power of attorney over their children to delegate responsibility for their children to third-party individuals without requiring those individuals to submit to the licensing and regulations requirements that foster care providers must adhere to.
For example, parents who aren’t able to take care of their children due to health reasons or military deployment could assign control of them to someone they trust without fear of losing custody.
“Parents and legal caretakers are the ones who know what is best for their kids,” Frizzell said. “By lending more control to them, we are ensuring the safety and well-being of these children.”
Additionally, this bill provides that a parent who is also an armed service member may delegate responsibility for their child to a third party for the length of a deployment that lasts longer than 12 months, so long as the child’s stay does not extend over 30 days after the deployment’s end.
HB 1183 will now go to the governor for further consideration.
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Rep. Frizzell (R-Indianapolis) represents a portion of Marion and Johnson counties.
