Committee Summary for House Children and Family Law (03/25/2025)

Bill/Time	Type	Title	Sponsor
Unclear 00:06:43.720 - 9:05:44 AM	General Working Session	Unclear

Unclear: Chair Information Only00:06:43.720 - 9:05:44 AM; The chair opened the organizational meeting of the subcommittee of the Children and Family Law Committee, focusing on improving the Family Court system. The chair emphasized building upon the work of the special committee on the Family Division of Circuit Court, adopting a collaborative approach. The subcommittee will address complex issues in Family Court, informed by research from Kristen Grant Esquire and staff from the National Conference of State Legislators. The chair outlined three key topics for initial focus: specialization of judges in Family Court, mandatory mediation prior to trial, and coordination between superior and family courts in cases involving domestic violence and child custody/support. The chair also discussed the organization of the subcommittee's work, including whether to hold public hearings and how to structure discussions on the outlined topics.
Unclear: Representative Rice Information Only00:14:19.360 - 9:13:20 AM; Representative Rice expressed interest in obtaining a copy of the chair's opening remarks. They supported the idea of working in smaller groups as done in the special committee, but also valued the involvement of all members for comprehensive information sharing and brainstorming. Rice agreed with the chair's stance against additional public testimony, noting that much of the previous testimony sought to reverse verdicts, which is beyond the committee's scope. They emphasized focusing on policy and procedure improvements.
Unclear: Representative Greg Information Only00:16:52.519 - 9:15:53 AM; Representative Greg, who chaired subcommittees in the special committee, shared their experience and supported the idea of working as a full group rather than splitting into smaller committees. They noted that the focus has shifted to more targeted issues since the initial broad spectrum of the special committee. Greg suggested that while public testimony might not be necessary, the committee should remain open to recent concerns communicated via email, as these could lead to practical solutions or clerical adjustments.
Unclear: Attorney Erin Kagan Information Only00:19:53.919 - 9:18:54 AM; Attorney Erin Kagan, the general counsel for the judicial branch, introduced themselves and Judge Michael Mace, a circuit court judge primarily serving in Franklin and Lebanon. They were present to discuss the history and current state of the Family Court system, indicating a readiness to provide detailed insights and data from their binder.
Unclear: Unnamed Speaker Information Only00:20:33.880 - 9:19:34 AM; The speaker discusses the history and development of the Family Division from the 1990s to the present, highlighting its transition from the Superior Court to a specialized Family Division. They mention the involvement of Judge David King, who provided historical reports from the 1990s. The speaker also offers to bring in experts on mediation and training, such as Judge Kissinger, to discuss their programs and improvements. They mention future meetings planned for April 1st and April 8th to continue discussions and review documents from Attorney Grant's research and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).
Unclear: Unnamed Speaker Information Only00:23:29.559 - 9:22:30 AM; The speaker provides updates on various projects related to family court, including a federal grant for the Guardian ad Litem fund targeting indigent people in four locations, and the form simplification committee's efforts to test newly redesigned forms. They also mention the expansion of shadowing programs for newly appointed judges and monthly training sessions focused on family law topics. Additionally, they discuss changes to court rules regarding minor guardianship notices and positive feedback on the family access motion, which provides specific solutions and timelines for litigants.
Unclear: Unnamed Speaker Information Only00:28:06.000 - 9:27:07 AM; The speaker discusses the need for reviewing judges' application of Rules of Evidence, mentioning a public survey conducted to collect information on this issue. They emphasize that even a single complaint is taken seriously by the administrative judge, who is responsible for addressing such concerns.
Unclear: Representative Rice Information Only00:29:34.640 - 9:28:35 AM; Representative Rice asks for an explanation of the family access motion, which is a statutory mechanism with defined periods and specific remedies for addressing issues related to time with a child. The speaker appreciates the updates on collaborative work and requests a mid-fall update on ongoing projects.
Unclear: Judge Mace Information Only00:33:00.519 - 9:32:01 AM; Judge Mace provides a detailed historical overview of the Family Division and the Circuit Court, emphasizing their constitutional origins and the legislature's authority to create lower courts. He discusses the broad jurisdiction of the Circuit Court, including family law, criminal law, and probate cases, and the importance of geographical accessibility for family court locations. He also addresses the challenges of assigning cases to a single judge due to the court's extensive map and the need for more judges to handle the volume of cases effectively.
Unclear: Representative D Simone Information Only01:05:59.799 - 10:05:00 AM; Representative D Simone inquires about the availability of historical reports mentioned by Judge Mace, which are Judge King's property. They plan to PDF any reports not available in hard copy for the committee's records.
Unclear: Representative Rice Information Only01:21:36.000 - 10:20:37 AM; Representative Rice asks about the differences between Superior and Circuit Courts, particularly regarding the benefits of having the Family Division in the Circuit Court. Judge Mace explains that the process may not look very different to the public, but the Circuit Court is more accessible with 32 locations compared to 11 Superior Court locations. He also highlights the Circuit Court's experience with self-represented litigants and its ability to handle a high volume of cases related to daily life issues.
Unclear: Representative Deimon Information Only01:29:14.440 - 10:28:15 AM; Representative Deimon asked if the typed testimony referred to by the previous speaker could be entered into the file. The response was that the notes would be deferred to counsel for review before being submitted to the record.
Unclear: Attorney Krian Information Only01:30:33.320 - 10:29:34 AM; Attorney Krian agreed to email the notes to the record as requested by Representative Deimon.
Unclear: Representative Greg Information Only01:31:21.719 - 10:30:22 AM; Representative Greg expressed concerns about the public's perception of inappropriate actions by judges in family court, such as turning off recording devices. He inquired about the process for filing a complaint against a judge. The response outlined two primary avenues: appealing a judicial decision based on errors in procedure or abusive discretion, and referring misconduct to the Judicial Conduct Committee (JCC). It was also mentioned that the public is welcome to attend hearings to observe judicial conduct, and that judges are open to feedback and continuous improvement.

Pearson, Mark(Chairman)(R)[B-]2024	Nelson, Jodi(Clerk)(R)[B+]2024	DeSimone, Debra(V Chairman)(R)[A-]2024
McMahon, Charles(R)[A-]2024	Rice, Kimberly(R)[B-]2022	Love, David(R)[A]2024
Korzen, Lori(R)	Georges, Mary(D)	Seidel, Sheila(R)[A-]2024
Raymond, Heather(D)[CT]2024	Gregg, Alicia(D)[CT]2024	Petrigno, Peter(D)[CT]2024
Grossman, Gaby(D)[CT]2024	Levesque, Cassandra (D)[CT]2024	Malone, Amy(D)
Markell, Jay(R)