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Committee advances bill to ensure auditor's ombudsman access to child-welfare records, clarifies protections
Summary
The committee voted to report Senate Bill 85 favorably after supporters described a legal dispute over access to the iTWIS child‑welfare database and proposed statutory language to guarantee the auditor’s Office of the Ombudsman continued access and whistleblower protections.
Senator Steve Meredith and Auditor Allison Ball told the Committee on Families and Children that Senate Bill 85 is intended to complete the transition of the Office of the Ombudsman from the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to the state auditor’s office and to remove barriers that have hindered the office’s work.
The nut graf: Supporters said the bill would codify access to the state’s iTWIS child‑welfare database, establish whistleblower protections, and formally place the ombudsman within the auditor’s organizational structure to increase transparency and investigative efficiency.
Meredith said the measure follows recommendations from a…
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