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Bill would shift county attorney child-abuse reporting to annual schedule to improve accuracy
Summary
SB 69 would change county attorneys' required reports on child sexual-abuse case materials to an annual submission (due June 1) rather than twice yearly; proponents said annual reporting will improve data accuracy for oversight and reduce workload burdens on county offices.
Sen. Gay Lammers introduced SB 69 to change the frequency of county-attorney reporting on child sexual-abuse case materials to the attorney general and the Law and Justice Interim Committee from twice yearly to once per year (on or before June 1). The change was requested by the Criminal Justice Oversight Council and backed in committee by Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito.
Twito told the Judiciary Committee that case development and sentencing in such matters often take more than six months, and reporting once a year would allow county attorneys to compile more accurate information in the department portal (CARP) and reduce repetitive administrative burden. He said the content and fields required by the report would not change, only the reporting frequency.
Committee members asked whether the change would affect oversight or timeliness; proponents said the annual schedule aligns better with case timelines and with the attorney-general's ability to compile a meaningful report for the Law and Justice Interim Committee.
The committee closed the hearing after proponents' testimony; sponsor asked for a do pass recommendation.
