IN HB1257

Adds four legislative appointments (one each from the speaker, president pro tempore, and minority leaders of both chambers) to the statewide child fatality review committee, effective July 1, 2026.

Expands annual Department of Child Services reporting to include "near fatalities" (physician-certified life-threatening childhood injuries) alongside child fatalities, requiring detailed information on screened-out reports, prior investigations, judicial findings, and department actions taken.

Creates new public transparency requirements for child abuse/neglect cases resulting in fatalities or near fatalities, mandating the department promptly disclose the child's name/age/gender, prior reports or cases involving the child or alleged perpetrator, and a summary report within 90 days of case completion.

Requires the department to provide unredacted child abuse/neglect records to state and federal legislators within 20 business days of request, and authorizes disclosure to news media within 5-10 business days for suspected abuse-related child deaths.

Lowers the minimum child age for postadoption contact privileges from two years to twelve months, and clarifies that the reunification services time limit (15 months for petitions filed before July 1, 2026; 12 months after) runs from the petition filing date rather than the child's removal date.