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Committee adopts stakeholder-drafted child-welfare and juvenile-justice changes; registry cleanup and juvenile-fee repeal included
Summary
Lawmakers approved a package of child-welfare and juvenile-justice bills after stakeholder meetings and technical amendments, narrowing entries on the central child-maltreatment registry, revising screening and best-interest language, and eliminating certain juvenile court fees.
The Senate Judiciary Committee on May 20 approved several bills aimed at child-welfare and juvenile-justice reform after a multi-stakeholder drafting process that included judges, advocates and agency staff.
Why it matters: Changes to the central maltreatment registry can affect employment opportunities for people with prior neglect findings. Changes to screening, hotline use and best-interest factors affect when children are removed from homes and how courts evaluate reunification. Eliminating some juvenile fines and fees affects families’ financial obligations and public defender caseloads.
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