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Committee approves Homeland Security rule bundle; advances committee substitute for rules to full Senate
Summary
The Senate committee approved a bundle of Homeland Security-related agency rules that, among other changes, revise child-abuse response protocols, set hospital standards for sexual-assault forensic exams and update state police cadet and career-progression rules.
The committee agreed to a package of rule amendments from agencies in the Department of Homeland Security cluster and voted to report one committee substitute to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass.
An agency representative described the first bundle — labeled "Bridal 6" in the agenda — as containing rules from the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Corrections, the Division of Protective Services, the State Emergency Response Commission and the State Police. The representative summarized key changes across the bundle: updates to child-abuse response protocols; standards for medical forensic exams for sexual assault victims in hospitals; emergency planning grant program clarifications; and updates to state police cadet selection and career progression rules.
On child-abuse protocols (Senate Bill 335 in the bundle), the package clarifies who is considered a child to be protected, adds body-camera footage as a preferred method of documenting interviews at the scene, sets law-enforcement duties and duties related to protective caregivers, and removes the prior requirement that Child Protective Services accompany law enforcement "when possible." The bundle also revised timetables and referral requirements for forensic interviews and other investigative procedures.
The committee substitute described as Senate Bill 336 addresses standards for timely medical forensic services for sexual-assault victims in hospitals that provide forensic exams. The draft emphasizes preservation of evidence, patient consent and privacy, access to support services and requires hospitals to ensure 24/7 availability of qualified providers to perform exams. The presenter said the change would also add the rank of "Corporal" for Capitol Police to the enumerated ranks and update a sunset date.
Additional items in the bundle: Senate Bill 338 (State Emergency Response Commission) would streamline eligible costs language in an emergency-planning grant rule and allow late-filed applications to be considered if program funds remain available; Senate Bill 339 (State Police cadet selection) would implement an age change following enacted law, permitting cadet applicants ages 18 to 39 and remove a proposed requirement that applicants hold a driver’s license for two years prior to applying; and Senate Bill 340 (State Police career progression) would adjust testing windows for members returning from medical leave and address make-up scoring for missed physical tests.
There were no fiscal notes on the rules in the bundle, the presenter said. Hearing no amendments, the committee agreed to the committee substitutes for the bundle and the chair declared the motion adopted. Separately, the committee then voted to report the committee substitute for Senate Bill 336 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it pass; the motion was adopted without recorded roll-call votes in the transcript.
