House Bill No. introduced by B. Mercer aims to revise the reporting laws related to sexual abuse and exploitation in Montana. The bill mandates that county attorneys request assistance from the Department of Public Health and Human Services to identify alleged perpetrators when they are not initially identified. Additionally, it requires county attorneys to report to the Attorney General the number of cases that were not prosecuted, along with other specific details about each case, including unique identifiers, dates of reports, and outcomes. The reporting timeline has been adjusted to require submissions by July 1 each year instead of June.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the reporting requirements for the Attorney General, who must now report to both the law and justice interim committee and the interim budget committees. It includes new provisions for the Department of Public Health and Human Services to advise the Attorney General if they believe a prosecution should be pursued for uncharged cases of sexual abuse or exploitation. The bill also emphasizes the confidentiality of reports and the protection of the identities of those making reports, while ensuring that comprehensive data is collected and reported to enhance accountability in handling such sensitive cases.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1(1): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1(2): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1(3): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1(4): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1(5): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_1: 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(1): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(2): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(3): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(4): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(5): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(6): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(7): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2(8): 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212
HB0593_2: 41-3-210, 41-3-211, 41-3-212