(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana lawmakers are advancing legislation that would require the Department of Child Services to publicly explain how it handled abuse investigations in cases involving child deaths or near fatalities.
House Bill 1257 passed unanimously Monday out of the Senate Family and Children Services Committee. The bill would require DCS to produce public summaries detailing how staff responded to reports of abuse or neglect when a child dies or nearly dies. It would also expand the information included in the agency's annual child fatality reports.
Under the proposal, DCS would be allowed to confirm or clarify information for the media in cases involving suspected abuse or neglect. The agency would be required to respond to media inquiries within 10 days and provide basic details such as the child's age, gender, and whether there was prior involvement with DCS.
The bill's author, Republican Representative Julie McGuire of Indianapolis, told lawmakers the measure is designed to increase transparency and accountability. She said current law often prevents DCS from responding even when inaccurate information about a case becomes public.
The legislation would also require DCS to provide unredacted case reports to lawmakers detailing how the agency and courts handled abuse allegations. Those records could only be used for legitimate governmental purposes and could not be publicly released.
Lawmakers also advanced a related measure, House Bill 1036, which would require in-person contact with an alleged victim before DCS can close an abuse or neglect assessment or dismiss a juvenile court case.
House Bill 1257 has already passed the Indiana House unanimously and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.