SB 1493
Initials CH/ML Page 1 Education
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-seventh Legislature
First Regular Session
Senate: ED DP 4-3-0-0 | 3rd Read 17-11-2-0-0
SB 1493: DCS; school visits; identification requirements
Sponsor: Senator Farnsworth, LD 10
Committee on Education
Overview
Establishes identification requirements for an Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS)
caseworker who visits a child at school for an interview.
History
Statute tasks DCS with investigating reports of child abuse and neglect and employing child
safety workers. DCS child safety workers must have a valid fingerprint clearance card and
certify that they are not awaiting trial on nor have ever been convicted of specified criminal
offenses in any jurisdiction. A child safety worker may not interview a child without the prior
written consent of the child's parent, guardian or custodian unless: 1) the child initiates
contact with the worker; 2) the child is the subject or sibling of, or is living with a child who
is the subject of, an abuse or abandonment investigation; or 3) the interview is conducted
under initial screening, safety assessment and investigation protocols. Statute requires child
safety workers to be trained and demonstrate competency in the duty to protect the legal
rights of children and families from the time of initial contact through treatment, the legal
rights of parents and impact and intervention practices as specified (A.R.S. §§ 8-451 and 8-
802).
Provisions
1. Instructs a school to require and a DCS caseworker to present, when visiting a child at a
school for an interview, the DCS caseworker's:
a) DCS identification; and
b) valid driver license or nonoperating identification license. (Sec. 1, 2)
2. Requires, if the DCS caseworker declines or is unable to provide the prescribed forms of
identification, the:
a) DCS caseworker to provide the school with the contact information for the DCS office
where the caseworker is employed; and
b) school to contact the DCS office and verify the caseworker's identification and
employment. (Sec. 1, 2)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note