The bill amends the Abuse and Neglect Act to clarify the sharing of information held by the Children, Youth and Families Department regarding child abuse and neglect cases. It introduces new definitions, such as "personal identifier information," which includes a person's name and contact details, and mandates that information about child fatalities or near fatalities be disclosed while protecting the personal identifier information of department clients. A written court order is now required to exclude media from abuse or neglect proceedings, which can be appealed, and the court's docket number will be a public record. The bill also enhances confidentiality provisions by limiting the disclosure of personal identifier information during investigations, with exceptions for cases involving child fatalities or missing children.

Additionally, the bill allows for the public release of information concerning child fatalities and near fatalities, including details about the child and prior department involvement, while ensuring that parents or guardians can access certain investigation records with redacted personal identifier information. It clarifies that the department is not required to disclose information that could harm a criminal investigation and mandates a summary of investigation outcomes be provided to those who reported suspected abuse or neglect. The bill also requires the creation of a public dashboard on the department's website to be updated quarterly with child welfare statistics and an annual report to the governor and legislature, emphasizing transparency while protecting sensitive information, particularly for Indian children and families, as it specifies that the provisions do not apply to cases governed by the Indian Family Protection Act.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 32A-4-2, 32A-4-20, 32A-4-33, 32A-4-33.1
PA substitute: 32A-4-2, 32A-4-20, 32A-4-33, 32A-4-33.1