Subcommittee refines HB553 definitions to add trauma‑informed and psychological‑abuse language

Chair opened the subcommittee meeting on House Bill 553 by framing the effort as narrowly focused on statutory definitions, not on adding new punishments or removing parental rights.

"This is literally the definitions of child abuse and neglect and the rebuttable presumption of harm and abuse and neglect case," the chair said, explaining the measure forms "the foundation of how we then build other bills."

The Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) told the committee the proposed language is intended to clarify rather than expand agency authority. "Psychological abuse is defined as reports where a child suffers or is likely to suffer psychological, emotional harm as a result of parental behaviors," said Jen Ross, deputy director of DCYF, reading from agency policy. Ross listed examples DCYF…