Tennessee House Bill HJR0019

Tennessee 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/10/23
• Refer: 1/11/23
• Refer: 2/21/23
• Refer: 2/28/23
• Engrossed: 3/14/23
• Enrolled: 4/12/23
• Passed: 4/20/23

Caption

A RESOLUTION to urge the United States Congress to enact legislation that will make state child abuse registries public records.

Impact

If passed, HJR0019 would prompt significant changes in how child abuse registries are maintained and accessed at the state level. By making these registries public, it would empower individuals and organizations to access critical information pertaining to child safety. Advocates argue that this transparency could prevent potential abuse situations by informing parents, guardians, and childcare providers of the individuals to be cautious of within their communities.

Summary

House Joint Resolution 19 (HJR0019) is a resolution urging the United States Congress to enact legislation that would require state child abuse registries to be made public records. This initiative comes in light of the current practice in Tennessee, where the Department of Children's Services maintains an official Child Abuse Registry containing the names of individuals substantiated as perpetrators of child abuse or neglect. The resolution aims to enhance the protection of children by allowing public access to information about individuals on this registry, thereby facilitating informed community safety measures and decisions.

Contention

However, there could be notable points of contention surrounding the implementation of public access to child abuse registries. Critics may express concerns about privacy rights and the potential for stigmatization of individuals listed on the registry. There may also be debates about the due process rights of those individuals, as the current system ensures names are only included after thorough reviews, which would be compromised if public access were granted without appropriate limitations.