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Senate passes broad child‑welfare overhaul, creating ombudsman and expanding protections
Summary
The Utah Senate approved Second Substitute House Bill 239, a 70‑page child‑welfare package that expands grounds for removal, creates a child‑protection ombudsman, authorizes AG investigators for DCFS custody cases and makes procedural changes designed to speed permanency for children. The bill passed 25–2–2 and will return to the House.
Senator Tanner presented Second Substitute House Bill 239, describing it as a 70‑page overhaul intended to strengthen child‑welfare services and comply with federal requirements. "This is the child welfare amendments bill, and I say facetiously that it's an easy bill," he said, summarizing provisions that modify grounds for removal, expand early intervention and create an office of child protection ombudsman.
The bill revises when a child may be removed from home (adding abandonment and clandestine drug‑operation circumstances) and broadens the circumstances for termination of parental rights where facts…
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