This bill proposes to amend current statutes regarding child neglect by explicitly prohibiting the inability of a parent, guardian, or custodian to provide a child with supervision, clothing, food, shelter, or medical care solely due to a lack of financial resources from being classified as neglect. The current law defines neglect as the inability or unwillingness to provide necessary care that poses a substantial risk of serious harm to a child's health or welfare. The bill modifies this definition to include the term "serious" and adds a new provision that protects parents from being considered neglectful if their inability to provide care is due to financial constraints.

Additionally, the bill makes technical changes to the language of the statutes and clarifies that parents cannot be charged with abuse or neglect for seeking treatment or bringing a child into the home if the child's behavioral health needs pose a risk to the family's safety. Overall, the proposed changes aim to ensure that financial hardship is not penalized under child neglect laws, thereby providing greater protection for families facing economic challenges.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 8-201
Senate Engrossed Version: 8-201, 8-201.01, 13-1404, 13-1405, 13-1406, 13-1410, 13-3552, 13-3553, 13-3608, 13-3212, 13-3401, 8-327, 13-501, 13-3903, 13-4261, 13-3623, 13-3601, 13-1417, 8-455, 13-706, 32-3201, 15-803, 13-3620, 13-3551, 13-1401, 13-1411, 13-3507, 8-521.02, 8-456, 8-471