Ground for termination of parental rights-guardianship.
AN ACT relating to children; providing that a guardianship with a relative and a finding of unfitness may be a ground for the termination of parental rights as specified; and providing for an effective date.
BudgetChildrenParental Rights
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
Sponsor
Senator Schuler
Last action
2025-03-13
Official status
enrolled
Effective date
7/1/2025
Plain English Breakdown
The term 'unfit' is used but not defined in detail by the bill text.
Grounds for Terminating Parental Rights
This law allows courts to terminate parental rights if a child has been under guardianship with a relative for at least twenty-four consecutive months and there is clear-and-convincing evidence that the parent is unfit.
What This Bill Does
Adds a new reason for terminating parental rights: when a child has lived with a guardian who is a relative of the child for at least twenty-four consecutive months, and there is clear-and-convincing evidence that the parent is unfit to have custody and control of the child.
Defines 'relative' as including grandparents, stepparents, great-grandparents, siblings, stepsiblings, half-siblings, uncles, or aunts.
Who It Names or Affects
Children who have been under guardianship with relatives for at least twenty-four consecutive months
Parents whose rights may be terminated if they are found unfit
Terms To Know
Relative
Includes grandparents, stepparents, great-grandparents, siblings, stepsiblings, half-siblings, uncles, or aunts.
Limits and Unknowns
The law only applies if the child has been under guardianship for at least twenty-four consecutive months.
It does not specify what constitutes 'unfitness' of a parent.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the bill that appropriates money for Medicaid behavioral health rate rebasing.
Adds an appropriation of $833,153 from both general and federal funds to the Department of Health for Medicaid behavioral health rate rebasing until June 30, 2026.
Specifies that if another bill is enacted in 2025 with similar funding, this appropriation will be reduced accordingly.
The amendment includes technical details about fund transfers and reversion dates which are not explained here for simplicity.
Plain English: The amendment changes the number of months from twenty-four to thirty-six for a specific condition related to terminating parental rights.
Changes the time period required for a finding of unfitness in a relative guardianship case from twenty-four (24) months to thirty-six (36) months.
The exact context and implications of this change on the process of terminating parental rights are not fully explained by the amendment text alone.
Plain English: The amendment changes the definition of 'unfit' to include a parent's ability to meet their child's ongoing needs, and it reduces the time period for certain actions from 24 consecutive months to 15 out of the most recent 22 months.
Adds a new definition in the act that includes the inability to meet a child’s ongoing physical, mental, and emotional needs as part of being 'unfit'.
Changes the time requirement from 24 consecutive months to 15 out of the most recent 22 months.
The amendment text does not provide full context on how these changes will be applied or what specific actions are affected by the new time period.
Committee of the Whole • Representative Campbell, E
Failed
Plain English: The amendment adds funding for preschool children with disabilities and Medicaid behavioral health rate rebasing.
Adds four million dollars ($4,000,000.00) from the general fund to provide services to preschool children with disabilities until June 30, 2026.
Appropriates eight hundred thirty-three thousand one hundred fifty-three dollars ($833,153.00) each from state and federal funds for Medicaid behavioral health rate rebasing until June 30, 2026.
The amendment text does not explain how the funding will be used or what specific services will be provided.
It is unclear if there are any limits on how these funds can be spent beyond the specified period and purpose.
Committee of the Whole • Representative Campbell, E
Adopted
Plain English: The amendment adds a new section to the bill that appropriates money from the general fund to increase room and board reimbursement rates for youth facilities.
Adds an appropriation of $2,427,097.00 from the general fund to the Department of Family Services.
Specifies that this funding is intended to raise the room and board reimbursement rate paid by the department to various youth care facilities.
Sets a timeframe for the appropriation from the effective date of the act until June 30, 2026.
The amendment does not specify how much the reimbursement rates will increase or what impact this funding will have on youth care facilities.
Plain English: The amendment changes the requirement for terminating parental rights by specifying a minimum period of guardianship with a relative and fitness findings.
Changes 'more than twenty-four (24) months' to 'at least twenty-four (24) consecutive months'.
Adds the requirement that there must be a showing of unfitness before terminating parental rights.
The amendment text does not provide details on what constitutes a 'showing of unfitness', which may require further clarification or context.
Bill History
2025-03-13LSO
Assigned Chapter Number 138
2025-03-13Governor
Governor Signed SEA No. 0083
2025-03-05House
H Speaker Signed SEA No. 0083
2025-03-04Senate
S President Signed SEA No. 0083
2025-03-04LSO
Assigned Number SEA No. 0083
2025-03-04Senate
S Concur:Passed 16-15-0-0-0
2025-03-04Senate
S Received for Concurrence
2025-03-04House
H 3rd Reading:Passed 44-17-1-0-0
2025-03-03House
H 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-28House
H 2nd Reading:Laid Back
2025-02-27House
H COW:Passed
2025-02-21House
H Placed on General File
2025-02-21House
H01 - Judiciary:Recommend Do Pass 8-0-1-0-0
2025-02-20House
H Introduced and Referred to H01 - Judiciary
2025-02-11House
H Received for Introduction
2025-02-11Senate
S 3rd Reading:Passed 19-11-1-0-0
2025-02-10Senate
S 2nd Reading:Passed
2025-02-07Senate
S COW:Passed
2025-02-03Senate
S Placed on General File
2025-02-03Senate
S01 - Judiciary:Recommend Amend and Do Pass 4-0-1-0-0
2025-01-29Senate
S Introduced and Referred to S01 - Judiciary
2024-12-19Senate
S Received for Introduction
2024-12-05LSO
Bill Number Assigned
Official Summary Text
Bill Summary - 25LSO-0378
Bill No.:
SF0022
Effective:
7/1/2025
LSO No.:
25LSO-0378
Enrolled Act No.:
SEA No. 0083
Chapter No.:
138
Prime Sponsor:
Schuler
Catch Title:
Ground for termination of parental rights-guardianship.
Has Report:
No
Subject:
Providing for termination of parental rights for a guardianship and parental unfitness.
Summary/Major Elements:
Current law provides that a parent's rights may be terminated upon a court finding one (1) or more facts specified in statute by clear-and-convincing evidence.
This act adds a new criteria allowing a parent's rights to be terminated if there is clear-and-convincing evidence that the child has been appointed a guardian who is a relative of the child, the child has been under the guardian's care for at least twenty‑four (24) consecutive months, and the parent is unfit to have the custody and control of the child.
For purposes of this act, a relative includes a grandparent, stepparent, great-grandparent, sibling, stepsibling, half-sibling, uncle, or aunt.
The above summary is not an official publication of the Wyoming Legislature and is not an official statement of legislative intent.
While the Legislative Service Office endeavored to provide accurate information in this summary, it should not be relied upon as a comprehensive abstract of the bill.
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
25LSO-0378
ORIGINAL Senate
ENGROSSED
File No
.
SF0022
ENROLLED ACT NO. 83,
SENATE
SIXTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WYOMING
2025 General Session
AN ACT relating to children; providing that a guardianship with a relative and a finding of unfitness may be a ground for the termination of parental rights as specified; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
.
W.S. 14
‑
2
‑
309(a) by creating a new paragraph (x) is amended to read:
14
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2
‑
309.
Grounds for termination of parent
‑
child relationship; clear and convincing evidence.
(a)
The parent
‑
child legal relationship may be terminated if any one (1) or more of the following facts is established by clear and convincing evidence:
(x)
The child has been appointed a guardian who is a relative of the child, the child has been under the guardian's care for at least twenty
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four (24) consecutive months and a showing that the parent is unfit to have custody and control of the child. As used in this paragraph, "relative" means as defined by W.S. 3
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2
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301(a)(iii).
Section 2
.
This act is effective July 1, 2025
.
(END)
Speaker of the House
President of the Senate
Governor
TIME APPROVED: _________
DATE APPROVED: _________
I hereby certify that this act originated in the Senate.
Chief Clerk
1