Section 15-11-217. (Effective January 1, 2014) Periodic review by judicial citizen review panel

   (a) In the event the periodic review of a case is conducted by a judicial citizen review panel, the panel shall transmit its report and that of DFCS, including its findings and recommendations together with DFCS proposed revised plan for reunification or other permanency plan, if necessary, to the court and the parent within five days after the review.

(b) DFCS shall provide the caregiver of a child adjudicated as a dependent child, his or her foster parents if there are foster parents, and any preadoptive parents or relatives providing care for such child with a copy of those portions of the report of the judicial citizen review panel that involve the recommended permanency goal and the recommended services to be provided to such child.

(c) Any party may request a hearing on the proposed revised plan in writing within five days after receiving a copy of the plan.

(d) If no hearing is requested or scheduled by the court on its own motion, the court shall review the proposed revised plan and enter a supplemental order incorporating the revised plan as part of its disposition in the case. In the event that a hearing is held, the court shall, after hearing evidence, enter a supplemental order incorporating all elements that the court finds essential in the proposed revised plan.

(e) Notwithstanding subsections (c) and (d) of this Code section, if the judicial citizen review panel finds that there is a lack of substantial progress towards completion of the case plan, the court shall schedule a hearing within 30 days of such finding to determine whether a case plan for nonreunification is appropriate.

(f) If the judicial citizen review panel determines that a parent of a child adjudicated as a dependent child has unjustifiably failed to comply with the ordered plan designed to reunite such child's family and that such failure is significant enough to warrant consideration of the parent's termination of parental rights, the panel may make a recommendation to DFCS and the attorney for such child that a petition for termination of parental rights should be prepared.

Code 1981, § 15-11-217, enacted by Ga. L. 2013, p. 294, § 1-1/HB 242.