SB 459 (2024)

Revises and rewrites parts of the Child Protection Act. For example, this bill addresses psychological maltreatment and "parentification of a child." This bill also expands the child abuse reporting requirement to include health care providers who treat a child under 13 years of age for a sexually transmitted disease.

The Senate rewrote the bill, instead establishing a committee to study the Child Protection Act.

The House further amended the bill by adding the text of several other bills:

• HB 475 - Requires judges to provide a reason, in the record, for allowing or barring testimony or evidence over objection in family court.
• HB 618 - Allows parties to come to an arrangement, as recorded on a form, instead of garnishing wages for child support.
• HB 1263 - Authorizes the use of parenting coordinators in high-conflict family court cases and sets qualifications and requirements for those acting as a parenting coordinator.

The Senate must approve those three additions.