House Bill No. 5558 seeks to amend the laws governing the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) in relation to investigations of abuse and neglect. The bill repeals previous restrictions on access to original reports, allowing parents, guardians, or legal representatives of alleged victims to request these reports, provided they are not the alleged perpetrator or living with them. Additionally, the identity of the person making the report remains confidential unless consent is given for disclosure or a judicial proceeding occurs. The bill also mandates annual assessments of individuals with intellectual disabilities to determine their future service needs and requires the Commissioner of DDS to file an annual report detailing abuse and neglect complaints, investigations, and outcomes, which will be publicly available.

Furthermore, the bill introduces new training requirements for DDS staff on information sharing, provides individuals with intellectual disabilities and their representatives with guidance on reporting processes, and expands the annual report's content to include detailed statistics on substantiated complaints. It also requires the Human Services and Public Health committees to hold annual hearings to review the DDS report and enhances the five-year review of DDS policies to include recommendations for improving background checks for service providers. The effective date for the bill is July 1, 2026, with certain provisions taking effect upon passage, and it notably eliminates the requirement for quarterly reporting, shifting to an annual basis instead.

Statutes affected:
File No. 740: