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Committee advances changes to child fatality review process despite fiscal concerns from some members
Summary
House Bill 1459, which makes procedural changes to county child fatality review hearings, was reported out of committee with a due-pass recommendation (8-3). Some members expressed concern about the fiscal note and potential added staff costs.
The Human Services, Youth, & Early Learning Committee reported House Bill 1459 out of committee with a due-pass recommendation by recorded vote, 8-3.
Representative Birnbaum, the bill sponsor, described HB 1459 as making “a series of small changes” to the county-level child fatality review process that could improve system-level learning after child deaths. Supporters said the goal is prevention by learning from past fatal cases.
Representative Dent and other members on the minority side raised concerns about the fiscal note and the potential need for additional staff (an FTE), saying the cost implications were unclear and that they would vote no until those concerns were resolved. In the recorded roll-call, Representatives Burnett, Dent and Penner voted no without recommendation. The clerk announced a tally of 8 ayes and 3 nays without recommendation.
The committee reported the bill out of committee with a due-pass recommendation; further fiscal detail will be considered in subsequent stages.
