On March 29, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill (S. 1899) to reauthorize the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (P.L. 101-630). The Committee heard testimony concerning the legislation on March 15 (seeThe Source, 03/17/06).
Sponsored by Chair John McCain (R-AZ), S. 1899 would reauthorize through FY2010 the Indian child abuse treatment grant program, the Indian Child Resource and Family Services Centers, and the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program. The measure does not provide specific funding levels for the programs.
S. 1899 would require the secretary of the interior to annually collect information related to the number of child abuse allegations and investigations, the number of child abuse prosecutions declined or deferred, and the number of child abuse acquittals in Indian country. Confidentiality of information concerning the children involved would be strictly maintained. The secretary also would be directed to study and identify any impediment to the reduction of child abuse in Indian country including impediments to reporting, investigating, and prosecuting allegations of child abuse and in the treatment of child abuse victims.
In addition, the bill would add forensic examinations to the list of examinations permitted without parental consent during an abuse investigation. Treatment for adolescent mental and behavioral health would be added to services provided at Indian Child Resource and Family Services Centers. Finally, the bill would authorize the use of telemedicine to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of child abuse.
