Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-             

Section 233. The department, in conjunction with other agencies serving children and families, shall conduct an annual child assessment as part of a child surveillance study on the impact of the public welfare system on the health and well-being of children from 0 to 18 years of age. The assessment shall include, but need not be limited to: the measure and assessment of nutritional status through height and weight measurements; birth outcomes status, including birth weight; poverty status; school readiness status and safety status, including injury prevalence rates and hospitalization rates. The assessment shall be submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, the joint committee on health care financing and the joint committee on education by April 1.