AZ SB1496

Requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to apply to serve as representative payee for a child's federal benefits only until someone outside the department can be appointed, and mandates documentation of efforts to identify alternative payees at each court hearing.

Modifies due diligence search requirements for identifying relatives and persons with significant relationships to children in DCS care, allowing search efforts to stop after permanency hearings if the child is in a prospective permanent placement, unless ordered by the court or circumstances change.

Changes the legal standard for substantiating child abuse or neglect allegations in administrative hearings from "probable cause" to "preponderance of the evidence."

Updates notification procedures for missing, abducted, or runaway children, including restructuring contact and notice requirements and changing "silver alert" references to "seek and find alert."

Requires DCS to file an initial report on efforts to identify and contact relatives within 30 days of a child entering temporary custody, with updates at each subsequent hearing.