Committee forwards bill to fund forensic interview scholarships to Public Safety

House File 2136, introduced by Representative Johnson, would appropriate $500,000 over the next biennium to fund scholarships for forensic interview training for multidisciplinary team members — including law enforcement, child protection social workers, prosecutors, health care professionals and children's advocacy center staff. The committee voted to re-refer the bill to the Committee on Public Safety.

Representative Johnson said the scholarships would expand access to basic, advanced and specialized forensic interview training, strengthening interviews that gather information in child maltreatment investigations. "Forensic interviews are critical for child maltreatment investigations," she said, adding that well-conducted interviews reduce retraumatization and limit duplicate questioning of…