Chris Dodd: “I also see that a new section has been added that requires the States to include in their State laws, as statutory…”

“I also see that a new section has been added that requires the States to include in their State laws, as statutory grounds for the termination of parental rights, convictions of parents for certain specified crimes against children. It also eliminates a Federal mandate that States must seek reunification of the convicted parent with surviving children. Given the crimes that have been specified--murder, voluntary manslaughter, and felony assault--it appears that what we are addressing is a parent who deliberately takes the life or seriously injures his child.”