Sen. Mary Beth Carozza is hoping the sixth time is the charm for legislation aimed at child custody evaluators.
The second week of this year’s General Assembly session kicked off Tuesday with a hearing on Senate Bill 222, which would require specialized training for workers who evaluate custody cases involving child abuse and domestic violence.
Co-sponsored by Carozza (R-38, Worcester) and her colleague, Sen. Chris West (R-42, Baltimore County), the legislation mimics an existing statute requiring judges presiding over child custody cases to have the same training
“When we think about the many qualifications and training bills that the Maryland General Assembly has passed into law over the years that impact positions not dealing with our most precious responsibility – our children – I believe we as legislators have a moral obligation to pass the child custody evaluators qualifications and training bill this session and ensure that it becomes law this year,” Carozza told members of the Judicial Proceedings Committee this week.
Senate Bill 222 – cross-filed with House Bill 0137 – is one of three bills Carozza pre-filed ahead of this year’s session, which began Jan. 14 in Annapolis. She told committee members this week she was seeking a favorable report on the legislation, which had already been introduced in the five previous sessions of the General Assembly.
Carozza noted that this year’s bill had changed – the result of a bipartisan workgroup of delegates and senators working with the Maryland Judiciary.