House Bill No. introduced by B. Mercer amends existing laws to enhance compliance with mandatory child abuse and neglect reporting requirements by imposing a 2% reduction in a county's entitlement share if it fails to meet these obligations. Specifically, if the Department of Revenue is notified by the Attorney General that a county has not complied with the reporting requirements outlined in 41-3-210(3), the county will face this financial penalty. This measure aims to increase accountability among counties regarding their responsibilities in reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

Furthermore, the bill requires county attorneys to provide specific information to the Attorney General on a biannual basis, including case identifiers, report dates, and prosecution outcomes. Should a county attorney fail to submit this information, the Attorney General is required to notify both the county attorney and the county commissioners within ten days. If compliance is not achieved within thirty days, the Attorney General must report the noncompliance to the Department of Revenue, which will identify noncompliant counties in its annual report. The bill also amends Sections 15-1-121 and 41-3-210 of the Montana Code Annotated to incorporate these compliance measures, reinforcing the state's commitment to child protection.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(1): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(2): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(3): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(4): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(5): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1(6): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_1: 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(1): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(10): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(11): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(12): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(13): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(14): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(15): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(2): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(3): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(4): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(5): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(6): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(7): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(8): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2(9): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_2: 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(1): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(2): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(3): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(4): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(5): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(6): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(7): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X(8): 15-1-121, 41-3-210
HB0625_X: 15-1-121, 41-3-210