LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY
OFFICE OF FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS
FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT
LS 7591 NOTE PREPARED: Apr 21, 2025
BILL NUMBER: HB 1412 BILL AMENDED: Apr 3, 2025
SUBJECT: Reporting of Child Abuse or Neglect.
FIRST AUTHOR: Rep. Cash BILL STATUS: Enrolled
FIRST SPONSOR: Sen. Goode
FUNDS AFFECTED:XGENERAL IMPACT: State & Local
DEDICATED
FEDERAL
Summary of Legislation: This bill provides that an individual's duty to report suspected child abuse or
neglect may only be delegated to another person if certain conditions are met.
The bill requires that if a report of suspected child abuse or neglect alleges that a staff member, youth coach,
or volunteer of an institution, school, facility, organization, or agency is the abuser, local law enforcement
shall investigate to determine whether the institution, school, facility, organization, or agency knew that the
alleged abuse was happening and failed to report the alleged abuse. The bill allows law enforcement to
consider certain facts when determining whether the institution, school, facility, organization, or agency
knew about the alleged abuse.
The bill also provides that a child is not a child in need of services (CHINS) due to a parent, guardian, or
custodian referring to and raising a child consistent with the child's biological sex.
The bill also makes conforming changes.
Effective Date: July 1, 2025.
Explanation of State Expenditures: This bill changes the reporting requirements for suspected instances
of child abuse and neglect. As a result, the DCS could receive more reports of child abuse and neglect, which
would increase DCS workload to perform investigations. If the additional investigations cannot be
accommodated with existing staff, the DCS could fill from existing vacancies to address the new cases. [As
of August 2024, the DCS has a total of 1,350 vacant positions worth a total of $81.1 M in annual salary. Of
these positions, 910 vacancies are for family case managers that are worth $52.7 M in annual salary.]
The bill also specifies instances that are not considered child abuse. This could decrease reports of child
abuse and neglect and associated investigations into suspected child abuse and neglect. Decreases in
workload for the DCS is expected to be minimal.
Explanation of State Revenues:
HB 1412 1 Explanation of Local Expenditures: The bill could increase local law enforcement workload to include
information concerning unreported, known instances child abuse and neglect that occurred at an institution,
school, facility, organization, or agency to the local prosecuting attorney. Increases in workload are within
the routine administrative function of local law enforcement and expected to have no fiscal impact.
Explanation of Local Revenues:
State Agencies Affected: DCS.
Local Agencies Affected: Local law enforcement agencies.
Information Sources:
Fiscal Analyst: Bill Brumbach, 317-232-9559.
HB 1412 2