Assigned to HHS FOR COMMITTEE
ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, First Regular Session
FACT SHEET FOR S.B. 1245
DCS information; review; location
Purpose
Allows a legislative review of Department of Child Safety (DCS) information to occur at
a secure location within a legislative chamber within 10 working days of the records request.
Background
Federal law requires DCS to maintain information regarding its investigations into
allegations of abuse and neglect against children as a condition of the allocation of federal monies.
This information is confidential, but current statute requires DCS to provide access to DCS
information to: 1) federal or state auditors; 2) persons conducting any accreditation deemed
necessary by DCS; 3) a legislative standing committee or a committee appointed by the President
of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Representatives for purposes of legislative oversight
of DCS; 4) a requesting legislator in the regular course of the legislator's duties; 5) citizen review
panels and child fatality review teams; 6) the Ombudsman-Citizens Aide; 7) an independent
oversight committee; and 8) the Governor.
Any legislator requesting DCS information must submit a written request to the presiding
officer of the legislator's respective legislative chamber, who must forward the request to DCS
within five working days of the receipt of the request. DCS must make the necessary arrangements
for the legislator to review the files at a DCS office, chosen by the legislator, within ten working
days (A.R.S. § 8-807).
DCS information is all information DCS gathers during an investigation from the time a
file is opened until it is closed, excluding information that is contained in child welfare agency
licensing records (A.R.S. § 8-801).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this
legislation.
Provisions
1. Allows a legislator to review DCS information at a secure location within a legislative chamber
within 10 working days of the records request.
2. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
February 3, 2025
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