Robert Kenney

I write to urge you to oppose HB533. I and my civil awareness group do not believe family courts should be permitted to proceed with parental fitness tests without a legal finding of guilt. We see this bill creating unmeasurable metrics of abuse in the emotional/psychological realm and do not believe that the burden of proof for something as serious as having a child removed from the home should include such vague and imprecise criteria. We are also uncomfortable with the use of this new therapeutic term "parentification" as abuse, as it could easily be misconstrued. Moreover, we are upset that the bill lowers the standard of evidence by using the "preponderance of the evidence" standard instead of "beyond a reasonable doubt." Lastly, we think the bill treats abuse and neglect more like a civil rather than a criminal matter, potentially leading to unjust loss of parental rights without sufficient proof of wrongdoing. I therefore ask you to oppose HB533.