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Senate panel hears bills to expand child-and-family ombudsman office and preserve confidentiality
Summary
The Senate Public Health Committee heard companion bills from Senator Lenz to add staff and investigative authority to Montana's Child and Family Ombudsman and to codify confidentiality protections for callers. Advocates and the Department of Justice urged passage; no committee vote was recorded on either bill during the hearing.
Senator Michael Lenz on Monday introduced two companion bills to strengthen Montana’s Child and Family Ombudsman office, proposing new staff positions, investigative capacity and a statutory mechanism to preserve caller confidentiality.
The measures — carried as Senate Bill 250 to expand the office and Senate Bill 251 to protect confidentiality — drew support from the Department of Justice and family-advocacy groups who said the ombudsman provides an independent review for families involved with child and family services.
Dana Toole of the Department of Justice told the committee, “We are an independent, impartial place in the state for anyone concerned about a child protection issue to call.” She said the department has supervised the ombudsman office…
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