Board Meetings
By J. Mark Weiss
The February 16 meeting was dominated by legislative items.
Family Law Legislation
The KCBA Family Law Section recommended that the KCBA take positions on several bills. Based on the recommendations of the section, the board took these positions.
HB 3139. This bill would make it easier for kinship caregivers to give consent for mental health care for minors. The board voted to support HB 3139.
HB 2979. This bill had been amended since the section reviewed it. The amended bill would make consideration of cultural heritage and religious preference of a child mandatory in the establishment of a permanent parenting plan. There was discussion about how the addition of this mandatory consideration would likely change the practice before the court, as practitioners would seek to prove how one parent was more culturally open than the other parent. Concern was also raised about the mandatory nature, which could lead to the requirement of specific findings of fact on such issues. The board deferred taking a position at its meeting, to allow additional consideration. The following week, by e-mail vote, the board voted to oppose HB 2979.
SB 6200. This bill would require the Washington State Division of Child Support to award a “certificate of compliance” annually to child support obligors who were in satisfactory or excellent compliance. The Family Law Section felt that support obligors should not receive an award for just doing what the law minimally requires. Additional concerns were raised. One concern was that the division and a support recipient could have differing views about compliance, especially since the division does not collect interest that is a matter of right under the law. Another concern was that the division’s caseworkers are already overworked, and adding this burden could adversely affect support collections. Concern was also raised that the issuance or failure to issue a certificate could have the unintended consequence of fostering more litigation. The board voted to oppose SB 6200.
Legislative Effectiveness
Friends in Olympia expressed concern to the officers that the KCBA’s legislative efforts could be more effective. A number of suggestions were made as to how the KCBA could be more effective in its efforts. Some suggested that the KCBA’s efforts were at times counterproductive.
In response, the KCBA president has just established a task force to study and report back on the KCBA’s legislative effectiveness, and how to improve the effectiveness.
Appointments
There have been several appointments. Carl Forsberg has been appointed as a new trustee of the KCBA board. He will complete the term of Trustee Song Richardson once her resignation becomes effective in May.
John Cary was appointed as the KCBA representative to the King County Library Board.
This article discusses selected issues that were before the Board of Trustees at its February 16, 2006 meeting. Complete minutes of this and other board meetings are available from the KCBA office. n
J. Mark Weiss is KCBA secretary/trustee. Mr. Weiss practices family law in Seattle. He can be reached at 206-622-6707.
