Senator Blunt Wants to Improve Child Abuse Death Reporting Requirements

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt was one of two U.S. Senators to introduce legislation intended to improve the reporting of child abuse deaths in an attempt to prevent future fatalities.  The Child Abuse Death Disclosure Act would require states to report data of all child abuse related deaths and develop recommendations for preventing child abuse deaths.

The Senators’ bill is intended to provide policymakers and public health officials with a clear picture of the number of child abuse fatalities.  It would allow states to collect information or an assessment as to when and why child abuse deaths occur.

The legislation would require states to examine circumstances of all child abuse related deaths and report case specific information to the National Center For Fatality Review and Prevention.  It would require the Department of Health and Human Services to consult state and local officials to develop a national standard definition related to child abuse deaths.

The bill aims promote training on child maltreatment fatalities for child death review teams to address the national child abuse and neglect data system estimated 1,720 child children died from abuse and neglect in 2017.