CAROZZA TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATOR BILL
CAROZZA TESTIFIES IN SUPPORT OF CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATOR BILL
“A useful option to protect children in custody cases”
The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 665— Family Law - Custody Evaluator - Information to Parties on Tuesday, February 25. Senator Susan Lee of Montgomery County introduced Senate Bill 665 and Senator Mary Beth Carozza is the lead Republican cosponsor.
“Senate Bill 665 simply requires a court, in any action in which child support, custody, or visitation is at issue, to provide information to the parties regarding the role, availability, and cost of a custody evaluator,” Senator Carozza said in her testimony in strong support of Senate Bill 665. A custody evaluator is a health professional tasked with evaluating the well-being of a child and their interactions with both parents in custody hearings.
Senator Carozza was appointed as a member of the Workgroup to Study Child Custody Court Proceedings Involving Child Abuse or Domestic Violence Allegations in 2019, chaired by Maryland Secretary of State John Wobensmith. The Workgroup was established through the passage of Senate Bill 567— Workgroup to Study Child Custody Court Proceedings Involving Child Abuse or Domestic Violence Allegations in 2019 and was convened to study court processes during child custody proceedings when allegations of child abuse or domestic violence are made.
Senator Carozza is the chair of Subgroup C on this Workgroup, which focuses on the role of custody evaluators and protocol for keeping children safe during the investigation of allegations of abuse. Senator Susan Lee also is a member of the Workgroup and chairs Subgroup A, which focuses on specialized courts and accountability for reporting abuse disclosed during the court process.
“During our Workgroup meetings, participants shared examples where parents and other parties were simply unaware of the role of the custody evaluator and commented that it would have been helpful to know about this option on the front end of the process,” added Carozza, noting that there currently is no requirement for the court to notify parties of the existence of custody evaluators.
Senate Bill 665 will be voted on in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee in the upcoming weeks.