Republican leaders press for child-welfare bills after child deaths, say DCYF accountability lacking
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Republican lawmakers at the press availability faulted the Department of Children, Youth, and Families for failures they say have led to child deaths, urged hearings on child-welfare bills (including 'imminent harm' language), and noted bipartisan movement on a fentanyl-endangerment measure.
Republican legislators used the briefing to highlight child-welfare concerns and to criticize the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) for what they described as lapses in oversight. Speakers said several bills aimed at tightening child-welfare standards or defining "imminent harm" have not received hearings in the House.
Rep. Peter Abarno and other Republicans recounted local cases they said illustrated DCYF failures and described efforts to bring measures such as Alicia Rule's bill to a floor vote. "We've heard story after story about, you know, children dying... fentanyl use in the home," Abarno said during the briefing.
Sen. Braun noted that a bill described in the briefing as "50.71" has passed one chamber and, according to his remarks, "would add fentanyl to the endangerment statute." He said that bill had passed with bipartisan support in one chamber and could be scheduled for a House hearing.
Republican leaders said motions to pull certain child-welfare measures to the floor were unsuccessful and argued that procedural objections, not substantive debate about children, have been prioritized by House leaders. No new hearings or votes were announced during the press availability.