Committee refines mandatory‑reporting bill to protect investigations and require data reporting

The committee amended and advanced House Bill 2589, a measure modifying mandatory‑reporting procedures to require reporters to supply identifying contact information that would remain confidential, while preserving law‑enforcement access and adding data reporting requirements.

Reviser staff summarized the bill as an amendment to the mandatory‑reporting statute to require reporters to include their name, telephone number and residential address; the bill would keep that information confidential within specific disclosure limits. Representative Johnson, sponsor of the amendment package, said the changes respond to concerns that anonymous reports have been misused and that clarifications were needed to balance privacy and investigative needs.

Key committee amendments removed a prohibition on law‑enforcement disclosure in cases where disclosure is needed for investigations, required the secretary to forward reports that allege serious physical harm to law enforcement even when a reporter does not provide contact details, and struck language that the committee viewed as potentially deterring reports (an automatic criminal warning about false reporting on intake calls). The amendment package also requests a report to the Joint Foster Care and Welfare System Oversight Committee (or successor) on data about reports transmitted to law enforcement.

The committee adopted the amendments and reported HB 2589 favorably as amended.

What happens next: HB 2589 advances to the floor; the committee requested post‑implementation data to assess effects on reporting and investigations.

Sources: Reviser (Jesse); Representative Johnson; committee proceedings.