SB 537 Summary

• Restricts Child Maltreatment Investigations Oversight Committee case reviews to completed investigations not associated with pending dependency-neglect cases.

• Expands committee membership from 18 to include additional positions: Director of Dependency-Neglect Attorney Ad Litem Program, appellate dependency-neglect attorney, and Executive Director of Commission for Parent Counsel.

• Allows General Assembly members to submit cases for committee review and attend meetings, but prohibits submitting members from participating in discussions of their own submitted cases.

• Permits up to 3 DHS employees and 3 Arkansas State Police employees to attend committee meetings as non-voting attendees.

• Clarifies that legislative committee members may disclose confidential child maltreatment information to federal, state, and local governmental entities with a legitimate child protection purpose, excluding public committees or legislative bodies.