DCS; sexual abuse allegations; interviews
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Progress
Where this bill stands in the legislative process.
- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House
- To Governor
- Became Law
Overview
This bill updates Arizona law to improve the investigation of allegations of criminal conduct against children. It requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to develop and implement protocols for initial screening, safety assessments, and investigations, in collaboration with various stakeholders including attorneys, law enforcement, and medical experts. Specifically, the bill mandates that a trained forensic interviewer conduct a forensic interview with a child alleging sexual abuse within seventy-two hours of the report, with exceptions for documented ‘good cause’ situations.
Key provisions
- Requires the DCS to develop and implement initial screening and safety assessment protocols.
- Establishes protocols for county attorneys and law enforcement to guide investigations of criminal conduct allegations.
- Mandates training for child safety workers, law enforcement, and prosecutors in forensic interviewing skills.
- Requires timely disclosure of information related to investigations.
- Specifies procedures for sharing information and coordinating with other professional disciplines.
- Requires annual reports to the governor, legislature, and secretary of state detailing investigation activity.
- Defines ‘sexual abuse’ for the purposes of the seventy-two-hour interview requirement.
- Outlines exceptions to the seventy-two-hour interview requirement based on ‘good cause’.
Who is affected
- Department of Child Safety (DCS)
Bill text
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Sponsors
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2 on record
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