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Committee hears bill to clarify child‑abuse and neglect definitions; proponents say change would limit stigma
Summary
Senate Bill 18 would modify Montana’s statutory definition of child abuse and neglect to specify that a parent’s substance use, a child's obesity, disorderly living conditions, or economic factors alone do not, by themselves, constitute abuse or neglect.
HELENA — Senator Lenzer presented Senate Bill 18 to the Senate Public Health Committee on Jan. 15, 2025, proposing revisions to the statutory definition of child abuse and neglect to make explicit that certain conditions alone do not qualify as physical or psychological harm.
The bill, requested by the Children, Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee, would remove temporary definitions and revise the language in Montana’s child‑abuse code so that…
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