Bill > HB593

This bill revises sexual abuse and exploitation reporting laws to enhance accountability and tracking of child sexual abuse cases. The bill requires county attorneys to request additional assistance from the Department of Public Health and Human Services in identifying alleged perpetrators when they are not initially known. County attorneys must now report to the Attorney General not only the standard case details like filing dates and prosecution outcomes, but also specifically track the number of reports that have not resulted in prosecution within two years, including the reasons for delay. The Attorney General is mandated to create a standardized reporting form and provide annual comprehensive reports to the law and justice interim committee and budget committees, which will include aggregated case data, prosecution statistics, and—with names redacted to protect privacy—details about defendants charged, convicted, and sentenced. Additionally, the bill requires the department to make an audio recording of phone reports and explicitly requires more detailed information gathering during initial abuse reports, such as collecting names of alleged victims and perpetrators when the report involves sexual abuse or exploitation. The department is also now required to advise the Attorney General if it believes a prosecution should be pursued for sexual abuse cases that have not yet been charged.

Justice

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC3423