Purpose

To increase public transparency about child fatalities and near fatalities, strengthen how critical incidents are reviewed, and expand annual reporting on the child protection system. The bill changes when and how information is disclosed to the public, how local and state reviews are conducted, and what is included in the annual child mortality review panel report.

Key Provisions (What the bill does)

• Public disclosure of certain child fatality/near fatality information

  • Public disclosure is required when:
  • A person is criminally charged with causing the fatality or near fatality; or
  • A county attorney certifies that the person would have been charged if that person were still alive; or
  • A child protection investigation resulted in a maltreatment finding.
  • The disclosed material must be a written summary posted on the Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) website and include:
  • Cause and circumstances of the fatality/near fatality.
  • The child’s age and gender.
  • Information on any previous maltreatment reports related to the maltreatment that led to the fatality/near fatality.
  • Information on any previous investigations related to the maltreatment that led to the fatality/near fatality.
  • The results of those investigations.
  • The actions of and services provided by the local welfare agency relevant to the maltreatment.
  • The result of any review by the state child mortality review panel, a local child mortality review panel, a local community child protection team, or any public agency.
  • Timeframe: the joint or local review team reports must be publicly available within 60 days after the report is received.
  • Privacy protections: the bill does not allow disclosure of private data, confidential data, data on decedents, nonpublic data, protected nonpublic data, or information that would reveal the identity of individuals who provided maltreatment information.
  • If a request to disclose is denied, the requester may seek a court order to compel disclosure, with expedited hearings. Public agencies and employees acting in good faith are immune from liability for disclosure decisions.

• Critical incident review process (Section 2)

  • Notifications: local welfare agencies must notify the commissioner and the panel within three business days of determining maltreatment as a cause or contributing factor in a critical incident.
  • Joint reviews: the panel shall conduct joint reviews with the local review team for:
  • Any critical incident involving a family, child, or caregiver connected to a local welfare agency assessment/investigation within the prior 12 months, or
  • Any critical incident directed by the governor or commissioner, or
  • Any other critical incident the panel selects.
  • Local review responsibilities: local review teams review all critical incidents not subject to joint review.
  • Timelines and reporting: joint or local reviews must be completed and a report compiled within 120 days of initiation, including systemic learnings and potential policy or practice changes to improve safety and wellbeing.
  • Distribution of local reports: the local review team must share its report with the panel and the commissioner within three business days after completion.
  • Follow-up: after receiving a local report, the panel may conduct a further joint review; the panel may make recommendations to state or local agencies to improve child safety and wellbeing.
  • Information gathering: the commissioner may gather additional information as requested by the panel or local review team and must compile a summary report for each incident where information gathering occurs, sharing it with the panel and the reporting local welfare agency.
  • Extensions: timelines can be extended if more information is needed; if extended, the local welfare agency must notify the panel’s executive director of the extension and the expected completion date.
  • Litigation status: reviews proceed regardless of pending litigation or other active investigations.

• Annual reporting by the Child Mortality Review Panel (Section 3)

  • Start date and cadence: beginning December 15, 2026, and annually thereafter, the commissioner must publish the panel’s report by December 15.
  • Content of the annual report: deidentified summary data on the number of critical incidents reported to the panel, the number reviewed by the panel and local review teams, and systemic learnings identified; recommendations to improve the child protection system, including possible changes to statutes, rules, policies, and procedures.
  • Extra-legislative recommendations: the panel may make recommendations to the legislature or other state/local agencies at any time outside the annual report.
  • Data analysis for trend identification: the 2027 report must include an analysis of deidentified aggregate data on critical incidents from 2022–2024 to identify trends and inform improvements.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Expands public access to certain information about child fatalities/near fatalities, with specific criteria triggering disclosure and a standardized summary format.
• Establishes concrete public posting timelines (within 60 days) and clarifies privacy protections to protect private/confidential data and identities.
• Creates a formal, time-bound process for joint reviews of critical incidents, with local review teams and the state panel, including specific roles, timelines (120 days), and potential for policy recommendations.
• Adds explicit requirements for annual deidentified data reporting and trend analysis to inform improvements in the child protection system.
• Allows for court-ordered disclosure of information if access is denied, with expedited judicial handling, and provides immunity for good-faith disclosures.

Practical Implications

• Increased transparency about child fatalities and near fatalities for the public.
• Stronger, structured reviews of critical incidents to identify systemic issues and drive improvements.
• Emphasis on privacy: protections are in place to prevent disclosure of sensitive data or identities.
• More data-driven guidance to lawmakers and agencies to improve the child protection system.

Relevant Terms - public disclosure - child fatalities - near fatalities - maltreatment - local welfare agency - child protection - Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) - public posting / DCYF website - deidentified data - private data / confidential data / nonpublic data - child mortality review panel - local child mortality review panel - local community child protection team - critical incident - joint review - local review team - systemic learnings - recommendations - information gathering - summary report - expedited court orders - immunity from liability