The bill amends existing laws concerning child abuse and neglect, specifically addressing the sharing of information held by the Children, Youth and Families Department. It introduces new definitions, such as "personal identifier information," which includes a person's name and contact details. The bill mandates the disclosure of information regarding child fatalities or near fatalities while ensuring the protection of personal identifiers. It also requires a written court order to exclude media from abuse or neglect proceedings, which can be appealed, and clarifies that the court docket number is a public record. Additionally, the bill enhances confidentiality provisions by restricting the disclosure of personal identifier information during investigations, with exceptions for cases involving child fatalities or missing children.

Moreover, the bill allows parties involved in court proceedings related to department investigations to publicly comment without disclosing confidential personal identifier information. It grants parents or guardians of children who have been subjects of investigations the right to inspect redacted medical and investigative reports. The department is not required to disclose information that could harm a criminal investigation and must provide relevant information to prospective adoptive or foster parents. The bill also mandates the creation of a public dashboard on the department's website, updated quarterly with statistics related to child welfare, and requires an annual report summarizing this data to be submitted to the governor and legislature, thereby promoting transparency and accountability while protecting sensitive information.

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