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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
DCS information; review; location
Purpose
Allows a legislative review of Department of Child Safety (DCS) information to occur at a secure location within a legislative chamber within 10 working days of the records request.
Background
Federal law requires DCS to maintain information regarding its investigations into allegations of abuse and neglect against children as a condition of the allocation of federal monies. This information is confidential, but current statute requires DCS to provide access to DCS information to: 1) federal or state auditors; 2) persons conducting any accreditation deemed necessary by DCS; 3) a legislative standing committee or a committee appointed by the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives for purposes of legislative oversight of DCS; 4) a requesting legislator in the regular course of the legislator's duties; 5) citizen review panels and child fatality review teams; 6) the Ombudsman-Citizens Aide; 7) an independent oversight committee; and 8) the Governor.
Any legislator requesting DCS information must submit a written request to the presiding officer of the legislator's respective legislative chamber, who must forward the request to DCS within five working days of the receipt of the request. DCS must make the necessary arrangements for the legislator to review the files at a DCS office, chosen by the legislator, within ten working days (A.R.S. § 8-807).
DCS information is all information DCS gathers during an investigation from the time a file is opened until it is closed, excluding information that is contained in child welfare agency licensing records (A.R.S. § 8-801).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a legislator to review DCS information at a secure location within a legislative chamber within 10 working days of the records request.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 3, 2025
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