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Committee hears bill to codify child‑abuse case determinations and remove 'founded' category
Summary
Sen. Dennis Lenz introduced Senate Bill 402 to clarify and codify definitions for case determinations (substantiated, unsubstantiated, unfounded) in child abuse investigations; proponents and Department staff debated the meaning and employment implications of removing the 'founded' category.
Senator Dennis Lenz opened the hearing on Senate Bill 402, saying the measure aims to clarify statutory case‑determination language used by Child and Family Services after abuse investigations. The bill would define "substantiated," "unsubstantiated," and "unfounded" in statute and remove the separate category of "founded" from practice and rule.
Proponents — including Denise Johnson of the Montana Child Protection Alliance — told the committee the current use of "founded" had been confusing and sometimes less punitive in practice, but…
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