SB494 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Paul Bussman

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Human Resources Department, children, legal custody, kinship guardianship, dept. not required to consider out-of-state relative if no contact within six months, Sec. 12-15-314 am'd.

Summary

The bill stops the Department of Human Resources from considering relatives who live outside Alabama for kinship guardianship unless they notified the department within six months of a child’s placement.

What This Bill Does

If the bill passes, after a child is placed in DHR custody, the department would not be required to consider out-of-state relatives who haven’t told the department within six months that they want to be considered as kinship guardians. This narrows the pool of potential guardians to those who have timely shown interest, potentially prioritizing in-state or already-engaged guardians. The bill keeps the existing kinship guardianship process and rights in place, including how guardians are chosen, required background checks, and the guardian’s duties and powers, with the new six-month notification rule applied.

Who It Affects

• Out-of-state relatives of children placed in the Department of Human Resources' custody who have not notified the department within six months after placement (they would not be considered for kinship guardianship).
• The Department of Human Resources and the juvenile court staff involved in kinship guardianship cases, who would apply the six-month notification rule when evaluating potential guardians.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 12-15-314 to add a rule: a relative residing outside Alabama shall not be considered for kinship guardianship if the relative has not notified the department within six months after placement that they wish to be considered.
• Maintains existing kinship guardianship procedures (written requests, eligibility criteria, background checks, burden of proof, duties and rights of guardians, and related court processes) but with the new out-of-state notification limitation applied.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Human Resources Department