The proposed bill, if enacted, would amend current statutes related to the Department of Child Safety (DCS) by introducing several key updates. Specifically, it would require the DCS central intake hotline to generate a comprehensive report that includes the entire history of a child and their siblings who have been subjects of prior hotline calls or investigations. This report must be created quickly and efficiently, with hotline workers mandated to review all relevant calls received in the previous ninety days, including those that did not meet the criteria for a DCS report. Additionally, if four or more reports of abuse or neglect are received regarding the same caregiver within a year, the investigation must be assigned to a child safety specialist with at least two years of experience or advanced forensic training.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that any hotline call alleging abuse or neglect of a child involved in a dependency action must be disclosed to the court overseeing that action. The bill also makes various technical and conforming changes to existing language, including the replacement of terms like "child victim" with "child welfare agency" in certain contexts. Overall, these updates aim to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the DCS hotline and improve the handling of child safety investigations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-455
Senate Engrossed Version: 8-455
House Engrossed Version: 8-455