CS/CS/HB 803 - Child Protection (2012)

• Revises definitions of "abandoned" and "harm" to include cases of parental incarceration, allowing incarceration to support findings of abandonment.

• Requires criminal history records checks through the State Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) and out-of-state checks for persons considered for child placement.

• Establishes procedures for handling calls from parents seeking assistance that show potential future risk of harm (but don't meet abuse/neglect criteria) and requires referral to community services when appropriate.

• Permits discontinuance of investigations during the course if determined the report was false, and allows referral to law enforcement for prosecution of false reports.

• Modifies child protective investigation procedures, including safety assessment requirements, criteria for onsite investigations, and training requirements for staff; shortens case plan compliance period from 12 to 9 months in certain termination of parental rights cases.

• Updates provisions for child protective injunctions to include temporary ex parte injunctions and clarifies that persons subject to injunctions do not automatically become parties to subsequent dependency actions.