HB 2479 — missing; abducted; runaway children

HouseSenate Engrossed House Bill missing;

runaway children State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-sixth Legislature Second Regular Session CHAPTER 146 HOUSE BILL 2479 AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 8-810, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES;

Within forty-eight TWENTY-FOUR hours after receiving a report of a missing, abducted or runaway child, the DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE THE local law enforcement agency WITH, AND THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY shall provide to all local media outlets and post to social media platforms, all of the following information regarding the child and, if known, the child's abductor:

THE APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL UPDATE SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS EVERY FOURTEEN CALENDAR DAYS WITH UPDATED INFORMATION REGARDING THE MISSING, ABDUCTED OR RUNAWAY CHILD.

FOR A CHILD WHO HAS BEEN MISSING OR ABDUCTED OR WHO HAS BEEN A RUNAWAY FOR TWO OR MORE YEARS, THE APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY SHALL WORKWORK, WITHWHEN APOSSIBLE, SPECIALIZED ARTIST TO CREATE AN AGE-APPROPRIATE PROGRESSION IMAGE OF THE CHILD.

The department shall IMMEDIATELY develop, and REFINE, IMPLEMENT AND PROVIDE IMMEDIATEINITIAL TRAINING TO NEWLY HIRED AND CURRENT DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE DIRECT OVERSIGHT OF CHILDREN AND TO THE DIRECT SUPERVISORS OF THESE EMPLOYEES.

A NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEE MUST RECEIVE THIS INITIAL TRAINING BEFORE ANY CHILDREN ARE ASSIGNED TO THE NEWLY HIRED EMPLOYEE'S CASELOAD.

WITHIN SIXTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT TO THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH A PROVIDER TO DEVELOP A CHECKLIST FOR DEPARTMENT SPECIALISTS.

THE CHECKLIST SHALL BE UPLOADEDDISTRIBUTED TO DEPARTMENTEACH SOFTWARECASEWORKER ANDTO SHALL ASSIST DEPARTMENT SPECIALISTS IN FULFILLING THE DEPARTMENT'S DUTIES PRESCRIBED BY THIS SECTION.

BEGINNING NINETY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT TO THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROVIDE A MONTHLY REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE NAMES OF MISSING, ABDUCTED OR RUNAWAY CHILDREN SHALL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL AND MAY NOT BE DISTRIBUTED OUTSIDE OF THE MONTHLY REPORT.

5.

ON THE RETURN OF A RUNAWAY CHILD TO THE DEPARTMENT'S CARE, THE REASON WHY THE CHILD RAN AWAY.

WITHIN ONE HUNDRED FIFTY DAYS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS AMENDMENT TO THIS SECTION AND ON A QUARTERLYMONTHLY BASIS THEREAFTER, THE DEPARTMENT- SHALL4 SUBMIT- TOH.B. THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE, THE SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE, OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES, A REPORT THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

-2479 4DEPARTMENT -SHALL H.B.SUBMIT TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET COMMITTEE, THE SENATE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE, OR THEIR SUCCESSOR COMMITTEES, A REPORT THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

2479 1.

THE DEPARTMENT'S COMPLIANCE WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.

4.

THE PERCENTAGE OF TIMES THE DEPARTMENT WAS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS A, B, C AND D OF THIS SECTION.

IF THE REPORT SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION L OF THIS SECTION SHOWS A LESS THAN NINETY-FIVE PERCENT COMPLIANCE RATE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION L, PARAGRAPH 4 OF THIS SECTION FOR MORE THAN FOUR CONSECUTIVE OR NONCONSECUTIVE MONTHS IN A TWELVE-MONTH PERIOD, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

THE MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT SHALL HAVE AT LEAST FOUR EMPLOYEES WITH AT LEAST ONE EMPLOYEE AVAILABLE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY.

THE MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT MAY ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH ANY VENDOR NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE DEPARTMENT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION.

IF THE MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT IS ESTABLISHED, THE UNIT SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR, THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY ESTABLISHED BY SECTION 41-1292.

THE REPORT SHALL DO ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

1.

IDENTIFY THE REASONS WHY THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS A, B, C AND D OF THIS SECTION.

2.

IDENTIFY THE METHODS BY WHICH THE MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT WILL ACHIEVE A NINETY-FIVE PERCENT COMPLIANCE RATE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS A, B, C AND D OF THIS SECTION.

3.

INCLUDE ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGES THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL MAKE TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS A, B, C AND D OF THIS SECTION.

4.

RECOMMEND LEGISLATIVE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO ENSURE THE DEPARTMENT'S COMPLIANCE WITH THE REQUIREMENTS PRESCRIBED IN SUBSECTIONS A, B, C AND D OF THIS SECTION.

N.

IF THE INDEPENDENT AUDIT DETERMINES THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONTRACT WITH A THIRDCONSULTING PARTYFIRM TOTHAT OVERSEEIS EFFORTSLICENSED TOBY LOCATETHIS MISSING,STATE ABDUCTEDFOR AND- RUNAWAY5 CHILDREN.- H.B.

2479 INVESTIGATIVE SERVICES.

THE CONSULTING FIRM SHALL PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON HOW TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION.

N.O.

IF THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILD SAFETY DETERMINES THAT THE DEPARTMENTDEPARTMENT, HASAFTER CONTINUALLYTHE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MISSING, ABDUCTED AND RUNAWAY CHILDREN UNIT, HAS FAILED TO FOLLOWMEET THE LAW,REQUIREMENTS OF SUBSECTION M OF THIS SECTION FOR A PERIOD OF MORE THAN TWO MONTHS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CONTRACT WITH A THIRDCONSULTING PARTYFIRM TOTHAT OVERSEEIS EFFORTSLICENSED TOBY LOCATETHIS MISSING,STATE ABDUCTEDFOR ANDINVESTIGATIVE RUNAWAYSERVICES. CHILDREN.

-THE 5CONSULTING -FIRM SHALL PRESENT RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE ON HOW TO IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH THIS SECTION.

APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR APRIL 10, 2024.