Senate Engrossed

child placement; relative search; notice

(now:  DCS; hotline allegation data; evaluation)

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

2022

SENATE BILL 1076

An Act

relating to the department of child safety.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1. External evaluation and recommendations; child safety services; report; delayed repeal

A. The department of child safety shall engage an independent consultant with expertise in advanced analytics to identify statistically significant associations between hotline allegation data within DCS reports and the need for protective service response.  Hotline allegation data must include the subcategories of abuse and neglect recorded by the DCS hotline on receipt of a DCS hotline report. The evaluation shall provide the following:

1. Identification of the specific types of abuse and neglect by number and percentage of allegations contained within DCS reports.

2. Identification of the specific types of abuse and neglect and other DCS report characteristics that were associated with an assessment that the child was unsafe and in need of protective intervention.

3. Identification of the specific types of abuse and neglect and other DCS report characteristics that were associated with an investigation assessment that resulted in the removal of a child from the home.

4. Identification of the specific types of abuse and neglect and other DCS report characteristics that were associated with an investigation assessment that the child was safe and did not require protective intervention.

B. On or before July 1, 2023, the independent consultant shall submit a report of its work, including findings and recommendations, to the governor, the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the cochairpersons of the joint legislative oversight committee on the department of child safety and provide a copy to the secretary of state.

C. This section is repealed from and after December 31, 2023.