CASA Act!

For our monthly blog post, we will discuss an exciting upcoming piece of legislation: HB 5429, coming to a Michigan legislator near you! Let’s dive in and see how this house bill will benefit Michigan citizens and us here at CASA. 


House Bill (HB) 5429 is sponsored by Representatives Christine Morse, Carrie Rheingans, Phil Skaggs, Felicia Brabec, Jasper Martus, Tyrone Carter, Brenda Carter, Julie Brixie, Jenn Hill, Rachel Hood, Julie Rogers, Sharon MacDonell, Carol Glanville, Regina Weiss, Jim Haadsma, Betsy Coffia, Jimmie Wilson Jr., and Jaime Churches. 


Let’s work through each section of the bill to understand better what is being advocated for! Section 1 of HB 5429 allows the House Bill to be called The CASA Act. From here on, we will refer to the House Bill as the CASA Act. 


Section 2 defines some CASA terms! For example, a CASA Volunteer is defined as “an individual appointed by a court.” “CASA Child” means “a child under the jurisdiction of the court.” Quite a few terms are outlined and defined in this second section. For the full list of terms, click the first link below to see the current CASA Act! 


Section 3 begins the part of the CASA Act that outlines that a court may create a CASA Program and the things a CASA Program must do. A key thing to note when we discuss what a CASA Program has to do, these guidelines are in line with Michigan CASA and National CASA standards for local programs. A CASA Program must screen, train, and supervise CASA Volunteers and provide them with the opportunity for 12 hours of training per calendar year. A fun line in this section is that CASA Volunteers be allowed to observe court proceedings after their initial training to become a CASA Volunteer. 


In Section 7, the CASA Act outlines when a CASA Volunteer is to be appointed to a court case. “Court may appoint a CASA when, in their opinion, a child affected by the proceedings requires the CASA Service, and it is in the child’s best interest.” We have talked in previous blog posts about what Best Interest means. In the CASA Program, Best Interest is defined as “best interest, which means the child is receiving support for their development that allows them to thrive and supports them into a healthy adulthood. Legally best interest factors are central to CASA’s advocacy for children.” For more information on Best Interest, follow the link to our other blog post listed below! Another important part of a CASA Volunteer’s case journey is how they end their involvement in a case. The CASA Act states CASA stop being involved in the case in the following circumstances: 
-Court Jurisdiction ends on the case
-The CASA Volunteer is discharged by the court 
-With the approval of the Court, at the request of the Program Director 


Section 9 has the description of what a CASA Volunteer must do within the parameters of their role. These are listed as follows: 
    -Talk to all appropriate parties on the case
    -Review reports and documents as appropriate 
    -Make recommendations based on the Best Interest Principle, specifically on the child’s placement, visitation with caregivers, and appropriate services
    -Make sure the case is progressing timely
    -Prepare and Submit a written report to the court
    -Monitor the case to ensure the child’s essential needs are met 
    -Make efforts to attend all hearings, meetings, and other appropriate proceedings
    -May be called as a witness in court proceedings 
That’s a lot of responsibilities! CASA Volunteers hold a unique position in the Child Welfare System. They have access to a lot of confidential information and use that information to advocate for the child. Here at CASA for Kids, we pride ourselves on having 4 Advocate Supervisors and 2 Training Supervisors that our CASA Volunteers are welcome to contact when they have questions or want support. 


Good news! The CASA Act has passed through the Michigan House of Representatives and has been sent over to the Michigan Senate for approval. If you are interested in any of the specific language used or want to see how this bill is progressing, check out the links below! 


See the bill at the below link! 
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billintroduced/House/pdf/2024-HIB-5429.pdf 
Updates on progress can be found here: https://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(qdf0mqrebtfqa0rfrdbhnfup))/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=2024-HB-5429
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billanalysis/House/pdf/2023-HLA-5429-25A0A2AA.pdf 
Best Interest Blog Post 
https://www.casaforkidsinc.org/news/archives/02-2024 ​