Senate committee weighs CPS liaisons in schools and mandated‑reporter training; zones and schools caution on confidentiality and funding

The Senate Human Services Committee spent an extended portion of its hearing on two connected child‑welfare topics: House Bill 1095, which would allow school districts to designate Child Protective Services (CPS) liaisons stationed in school districts, and House Bill 1562, which would change mandatory‑reporter training requirements and tie the training to teacher licensure renewal.

Jonathan Alton, chief legal officer for the Department of Health and Human Services, presented an amendment that tightened several provisions and clarified roles. "We did put 'qualified' just to allow for the school districts to still determine who would this person would be," Alton said, describing changes that remove some language about schools assisting with CPS investigations and narrow reporting to "confirmed decisions" to avoid unnecessary disclosures.

Kim Jacobson, director of Agassiz Valley Human Service Zone and president of the North Dakota Human Service Zone Directors Association, said the zone directors oppose the bill in its current form and support several of the proposed amendments but remain concerned. "House Bill 1095 is unnecessary," Jacobson told the committee,…