Relating to the appointment of a guardian ad litem, a child custody investigator or child and family reporter, or an attorney for certain child custody and visitation matters, and a guardian ad litem for certain child prosecution witnesses

This bill relates to the appointment of a guardian ad litem, a child custody investigator or child and family reporter, or an attorney for certain child custody and visitation matters, and a guardian ad litem for certain child prosecution witnesses. The bill provides that a court may order the appointment of a guardian ad litem or attorney for a child, a child custody investigator, or a child and family reporter in certain child custody and visitation matters. Under current law, in a case involving sexual abuse, human trafficking, incest, neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, child endangerment, or sexual exploitation of a minor, a prosecuting witness who is a child (under the age of years) is entitled to have the witness’s interests represented by a guardian ad litem at all stages of the proceedings in such cases. If a prosecuting witness is 14, 15, 16, or years of age and would be entitled to the appointment of a guardian ad litem if the prosecuting witness was under the age of 14, a court may appoint a guardian ad litem for such a prosecuting witness if the requirements for the appointment of the guardian ad litem are met and the guardian ad litem agrees to participate without compensation. The bill strikes the latter provision and provides that a prosecuting witness who is a child under the age of years in a case involving sexual abuse, human trafficking, incest, neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, child endangerment, or sexual exploitation of a minor is entitled to have the witness’s interests represented by a guardian ad litem at all stages of the proceedings in such cases.