Bill > H1689

This bill clarifies and expands the authority of the child advocate in Massachusetts to access various types of records and information related to children's services and welfare. Specifically, the bill allows the child advocate to obtain data on adult and juvenile arrests, court proceedings, and access a wide range of electronic records and information systems without cost. The child advocate will now have unrestricted access to records from juvenile courts, probate and family courts, the Massachusetts Probation Service, and the department of criminal justice information services, including personally identifiable information. The bill also broadens the child advocate's ability to examine systemwide service provision for children, which can include investigating issues such as child abuse prevention, mental health services, trauma, education, juvenile justice interactions, and racial disproportionality in child welfare systems. While the child advocate must respect legal limitations on information use, they are empowered to seek advice from experts and file comprehensive reports with various state authorities about their findings. These changes aim to enhance oversight and improve understanding of children's services in the Commonwealth by providing the child advocate with more comprehensive investigative capabilities.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1689