Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H182 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2565 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 182
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Natalie M. Higgins and Joan Meschino
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to bias-free child removals.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester1/19/2023Joan Meschino3rd Plymouth1/19/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/9/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2565 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 182
18	18	By Representatives Higgins of Leominster and Meschino of Hull, a petition (accompanied by
19	19	bill, House, No. 182) of Natalie M. Higgins, Joan Meschino and Colleen M. Garry that the
20	20	Department of Children and Families be authorized to develop a bias-free case review team to
21	21	screen proposed emergency child removals. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to bias-free child removals.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly
31	31	2requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
32	32	3 "Bias-free" to review a case file without the following identifying demographic
33	33	4information on the parent and child: gender, race, ethnicity, disability, geographic location, and
34	34	5socioeconomic status, which prevents a reader from inserting bias, implicit or explicit, into
35	35	6critical decisions such as removing a child from the child's family.
36	36	7 (a) The Department of Children and Families shall develop a permanent Bias-Free Case
37	37	8Review Team for each Area Office, consisting of no less than three staff, to screen all proposed
38	38	9emergency child removals under section 51B chapter 119 of the General Laws. The department
39	39	10shall develop a bias-free case summary which removes all demographics and identifying
40	40	11information, and presents evidence of safety factors that place the child(ren) in immediate or 2 of 3
41	41	12impending danger of serious harm, the family’s strengths, and opportunities for supportive
42	42	13interventions prior to removal. Prior to the Review Team convening, the following demographic
43	43	14and identifiable information must be removed from the case notes, intake summary, and
44	44	15investigation:
45	45	16 (i) The name of the child and the child's parents.
46	46	17 (ii) The race or ethnicity of the child and the child's parents, except when the allegations
47	47	18require thoughtful considerations pertaining to a family's culture, ethnicity, or religion.
48	48	19 (iii) The sexual orientation or gender identity of the child and the child's parents, except
49	49	20when the allegations require thoughtful considerations pertaining to the LGBTQ+ status or
50	50	21gender identity of the child.
51	51	22 (iv) The religious affiliation or beliefs of the child and the child's parents, except when
52	52	23the allegations require thoughtful considerations pertaining to a family's culture, ethnicity, or
53	53	24religion.
54	54	25 (v) The disability status of a parent, except when the allegations require thoughtful
55	55	26considerations pertaining to a family's disability status.
56	56	27 (vi) The political affiliation or beliefs of the child and the child's parents.
57	57	28 (vii) The marital status of the child's parents.
58	58	29 (viii) The income level of the child's parents.
59	59	30 (ix) The education level of the child's parents.
60	60	31 (x) Any reference to the location of the neighborhood or county of the parent's address. 3 of 3
61	61	32 (b) The Department of Children and Families shall submit an annual evaluation report to
62	62	33the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities that details the program's
63	63	34implementation and that provides an analysis of the program's effect and impact on the removal
64	64	35rates of black, indigenous and children of color.