Committee drafts S239 to form working group to review Vermont's mandatory child-abuse reporting rules

The House Government Operations chair said the committee would resume drafting S239 to create a working group charged with examining Vermont statutes and Department for Children and Families rules and policies on mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect.

The committee discussed adding language so the group's charge is not limited to reporting mechanics but also "understanding what supports might be needed" and considering "alternatives to reporting" when in a child's best interest, the chair said. Members said the working group should prioritize clarity of statutory definitions for mandatory reporters, consistency between statutory requirements and DCF guidance and training, and practical implementation challenges for reporters.

Committee members agreed to ask the working group to review specific statutory provisions identified in discussion as 49 VSA  4912 and  4913 and to include comparisons with other states so the group can assess whether Vermont's reporting standard and volume produce different results. "We have a higher level of reporting," the chair said, adding that the group should examine whether that yields better outcomes.

Members emphasized the working group will have limited resources and likely must rely on existing reports and data rather than commissioning large new analyses. The chair said the Office of Child, Youth, and Family Advocates annual reports and prior DCF data would be useful starting points.

On timing, the committee settled on a two-stage deliverable: a status presentation in the spring after crossover (members discussed "before April 1, 2027") and a final report and recommendations by Oct. 1, 2027, to allow time for drafting and committee review in the second year of the biennium. Members also asked that the law-enforcement appointee come from a special-investigations unit or special victims unit because those officers handle child-abuse and sexual-violence cases.

The chair said the committee will finalize markup language with staff and circulate a revised draft for review. The discussion did not include a formal vote; members directed staff to prepare the draft language and logistics for the working group.