The bill amends the Child Protection Law to enhance reporting requirements for suspected child abuse or neglect in cases involving newborn infants affected by substances. Specifically, it mandates that individuals required to report such cases must notify the department if a newborn is found to have any amount of alcohol, controlled substances, or their metabolites in their system. The department is then tasked with developing a plan of safe care for the infant and their parents, ensuring that services are provided during and after pregnancy. This plan may be coordinated with the hospital where the infant was born.

Additionally, the bill clarifies that reports must be made if the newborn's health or welfare is threatened by the parent's substance abuse. However, it also stipulates that reports are not necessary if the substances in the newborn's body are a result of medical treatment administered to the birth parent. The language of the bill includes several insertions that outline these new requirements and conditions for reporting, while also deleting previous language that may have been less specific regarding the circumstances under which reports are required.

Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 722.623