Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ombudsman Confidentiality topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears bill to codify confidentiality for Child and Family Ombudsman
Summary
SB 251 would codify confidentiality protections for people who contact the Child and Family Ombudsman; the ombudsman said most requesters ask for confidentiality and that codifying it in statute would align procedure with practice.
Sen. Dennis Lenz introduced Senate Bill 251 to clarify confidentiality protections for the Child and Family Ombudsman within the Department of Justice as the sponsor seeks longer‑term expansion and funding for the office.
Kacey Gaug Bruneaux, the Child and Family Ombudsman, testified as an informational witness that the office already extends confidentiality in practice and that codifying those protections in law would protect requesters who fear retaliation. She told the committee that ‘‘about 93% of the time our citizen requesters ask for confidentiality while we're speaking with the agency.’’
Members asked whether SB 251 requires an appropriation or a companion bill to function. The sponsor said SB 251 was intended as a step toward expansion and that he would continue efforts to secure funding, potentially through companion or future legislation. The committee did not take immediate action on the bill.
