HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4247        FILED ON: 11/2/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3836

Section 63 contained in the engrossed Bill making appropriations for the fiscal year 2015 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for certain other activities and projects (see House, No. 3829), which had been returned by His Excellency the Governor with recommendation of amendment (for message, see Attachment D of House, No. 3838).  November 2, 2015.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to the safety and well-being of children in the custody of the department of children and families.

 

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to forthwith require the department of children and families to report on the safety and well-being of children, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  On or before November 17, 2015, the department of children and families shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities on any new or updated policies, procedures and guidelines put into place at the department over the last year in order to provide systemic improvements that shall ensure the safety and well-being of children in the custody of the department and in-home placements and shall provide an update on the progress made in each area.  The report shall include any performance benchmarks used to assess new or updated policies as well as any procedures the department will take to improve its evaluation of children suspected of abuse or neglect. 

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect as of November 2, 2015.