A bill for an act relating to adjudication of a child in need of assistance due to the need for treatment of a chemical dependency, mental health disorder, or behavioral disorder.

This bill (HSB 503) expands the criteria for declaring a child a "child in need of assistance" (CINA) when the child requires treatment for chemical dependency, mental health disorders, or behavioral disorders that compromise safety or cause aggressive behavior. It directly affects children needing such treatment and their parents, guardians, or custodians who are unwilling or unable to secure care, or whose prior efforts to obtain treatment have failed. The key change modifies court standards to explicitly include chemical dependency and behavioral disorders as grounds for CINA status, alongside existing mental health conditions. This aligns with current law but clarifies the scope of conditions requiring court intervention.