This Act may be cited as the “Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act”.

The table of contents of this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Table of contents.

Section 2 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5101 note) is repealed.

Section 102 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5102) is repealed.

Section 103 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5104) is amended—

(1) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting “early learning programs and” after “including”;

(2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)—

(A) in clause (iii), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in clause (iv), by adding “and” at the end; and

(C) by adding at the end the following:

“(v) the number of child fatalities and near fatalities due to maltreatment, as reported by States in accordance with the uniform standards established pursuant to subsection (d), and any other relevant information related to such fatalities;”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(d) Uniform standards for tracking and reporting of child fatalities resulting from maltreatment.—

“(1) REGULATIONS REQUIRED.—Not later than 24 months after the date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Secretary shall develop and issue final regulations establishing uniform standards for the tracking and reporting of child fatalities and near-fatalities resulting from maltreatment. As a condition on eligibility for receipt of funds under section 105, 106, or 107, the standards established under this paragraph shall be used by States for the tracking and reporting of such fatalities to the national clearinghouse established under subsection (a).

“(2) MAINTENANCE OF STATE LAW.—Notwithstanding the uniform standards developed under paragraph (1), a State that defines or describes such fatalities for any purpose other than tracking and reporting under this subsection may continue to use that definition or description for such purpose.

“(3) NEGOTIATED RULEMAKING.—In developing regulations under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit such regulations to a negotiated rulemaking process, which shall include the participants described in paragraph (4).

“(4) PARTICIPANTS DESCRIBED.—The participants described in this paragraph are—

“(A) State and county officials responsible for administering the State plans under this Act and parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 et seq.);

“(B) child welfare professionals with field experience;

“(C) child welfare researchers;

“(D) domestic violence researchers;

“(E) domestic violence professionals;

“(F) child development professionals;

“(G) mental health professionals;

“(H) emergency medicine physicians;

“(I) child abuse pediatricians, as certified by the American Board of Pediatrics, who specialize in treating victims of child abuse;

“(J) forensic pathologists;

“(K) public health administrators;

“(L) public health researchers;

“(M) law enforcement;

“(N) family court judges;

“(O) prosecutors;

“(P) medical examiners and coroners;

“(Q) a representative from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention; and

“(R) such other individuals and entities as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.”.

Section 104 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5105) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

“(1) TOPICS.—The Secretary shall, in consultation with other Federal agencies and recognized experts in the field, carry out a continuing interdisciplinary program of research, including longitudinal research, that is designed to provide information needed to improve primary prevention of child abuse and neglect, better protect children from child abuse or neglect, and improve the well-being of victims of child abuse or neglect, with at least a portion of such research being field initiated. Such research program may focus on—

“(A) disseminating evidence-based treatment directed to individuals and families experiencing trauma due to child abuse and neglect, including efforts to improve the scalability of the treatments and programs being researched;

“(B) developing a set of evidence-based approaches to support child and family well-being and developing ways to identify, relieve, and mitigate stressors affecting families in rural, urban, and suburban communities;

“(C) establishing methods to promote racial equity in the child welfare system, including a focus on how neglect is defined, how services are provided, and the unique impact on Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities;

“(D) improving service delivery or outcomes for child protective service agencies engaged with families experiencing domestic violence, substance use disorder, or other complex needs;

“(E) the extent to which the number of unsubstantiated, unfounded, and false reported cases of child abuse or neglect have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse or neglect;

“(F) the extent to which the lack of adequate resources and the lack of adequate professional development of individuals required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse and neglect;

“(G) the extent to which unsubstantiated reports return as more serious cases of child abuse or neglect;

“(H) the incidence and outcomes of child abuse and neglect allegations reported within the context of divorce, custody, or other family court proceedings, and the interaction between family courts and the child protective services system;

“(I) the information on the national incidence of child abuse and neglect specified in clauses (i) through (xi) of subparagraph (J); and

“(J) the national incidence of child abuse and neglect, including—

“(i) the extent to which incidents of child abuse and neglect are increasing or decreasing in number and severity;

“(ii) the incidence of substantiated and unsubstantiated reported child abuse and neglect cases;

“(iii) the number of substantiated cases that result in a judicial finding of child abuse or neglect or related criminal court convictions;

“(iv) the extent to which the number of unsubstantiated, unfounded and false reported cases of child abuse or neglect have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse or neglect;

“(v) the extent to which the lack of adequate resources and the lack of adequate education of individuals required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect have contributed to the inability of a State to respond effectively to serious cases of child abuse and neglect;

“(vi) the number of unsubstantiated, false, or unfounded reports that have resulted in a child being placed in substitute care, and the duration of such placement;

“(vii) the extent to which unsubstantiated reports return as more serious cases of child abuse or neglect;

“(viii) the incidence and prevalence of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse and physical and emotional neglect in substitute care;

“(ix) the incidence and prevalence of child maltreatment by a wide array of demographic characteristics such as age, sex, race, family structure, household relationship (including the living arrangement of the resident parent and family size), school enrollment and education attainment, disability, grandparents as caregivers, labor force status, work status in previous year, and income in previous year;

“(x) the extent to which reports of suspected or known instances of child abuse or neglect involving a potential combination of jurisdictions, such as intrastate, interstate, Federal-State, and State-Tribal, are being screened out solely on the basis of the cross-jurisdictional complications; and

“(xi) the incidence and outcomes of child abuse and neglect allegations reported within the context of divorce, custody, or other family court proceedings, and the interaction between family courts and the child protective services system.”;

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking “paragraph (1)(O)” and inserting “paragraph (1)(J)”;

(C) by amending paragraph (3) to read as follows:

“(3) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after the date of the enactment of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Education and Labor of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that contains the results of the research conducted under paragraph (2).

“(B) NATIONAL INCIDENCE.—The Secretary shall ensure that research conducted, and data collected, under paragraph (1)(J) are reported in a way that will allow longitudinal comparisons as well as comparisons to reports issued on research conducted under section 104(a)(1)(O) of this Act, as in effect before the effective date of the Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.”; and

(D) by striking the second paragraph (4);

(2) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:

“(2) AREAS OF EMPHASIS; EVALUATION.—Such technical assistance—

“(A) shall focus on—

“(i) implementing strategies that can leverage existing community-based and State funded resources to prevent child abuse and neglect and providing education for individuals involved in prevention activities;

“(ii) reducing racial bias in child welfare systems, including how such systems interact with health, law enforcement, and education systems;

“(iii) promoting best practices for families experiencing domestic violence, substance use disorder, or other complex needs; and

“(iv) providing professional development and other technical assistance to child welfare agencies to improve the understanding of and to help address the effects of trauma and adverse childhood experiences in parents and children in contact with the child welfare system; and

“(B) may include an evaluation or identification of—

“(i) various methods and procedures for the investigation, assessment, and prosecution of child physical and sexual abuse cases;

“(ii) ways to mitigate psychological trauma to the child victim;

“(iii) effective programs carried out by the States under titles I and II; and

“(iv) effective approaches being utilized to link child protective service agencies with health care, mental health care, and developmental services to improve forensic diagnosis and health evaluations, and barriers and shortages to such linkages.”;

(3) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (3); and

(4) by striking subsection (e).

Section 105 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106) is amended—

(1) in subsection (a)—

(A) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (10); and

(B) by striking paragraphs (1) through (6) and inserting the following:

“(1) PREVENTION SERVICES.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to establish or expand prevention services that reduce incidences of child maltreatment and strengthen families.

“(2) TRAUMATIC STRESS.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to address instances of traumatic stress in families due to child abuse and neglect, especially for families with complex needs or families that exhibit high levels of adverse childhood experiences.

“(3) PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to educate professionals and paraprofessionals in prevention, identification, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

“(4) IMPROVING COORDINATION.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to carry out activities to improve intrastate coordination among child welfare systems. Such activities may include—

“(A) aligning information technology systems;

“(B) improving information sharing regarding child and family referrals; or

“(C) creating collaborative voluntary partnerships among public and private agencies, the State’s child protective services, local social service agencies, community-based family support programs, State and local legal agencies, developmental disability agencies, substance use disorder treatment providers, health care providers and agencies, domestic violence prevention programs, mental health services, schools and early learning providers, religious entities, and other community-based programs.

“(5) PRIMARY PREVENTION.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to carry out or expand primary prevention programs or strategies that address family or community protective factors.

“(6) NEGLECT DUE TO ECONOMIC INSECURITY.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to carry out programs or strategies that reduce findings of child neglect due in full or in part to family economic insecurity.

“(7) EDUCATION OF MANDATORY REPORTERS.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities for projects that involve research-based strategies for innovative education of mandated child abuse and neglect reporters, and for victims to understand mandatory reporting.

“(8) SENTINEL INJURIES.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to identify and test effective practices to improve early detection and management of injuries indicative of potential abuse in infants to prevent future cases of child abuse and related fatalities.

“(9) INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretary may award grants under this subsection to entities to carry out innovative programs or strategies to coordinate the delivery of services to help reduce child abuse and neglect via partnerships among health, mental health, education (including early learning and care programs as appropriate), and child welfare agencies and providers.”; and

(2) by striking subsections (b) and (c) and inserting the following:

“(b) Goals and performance.—The Secretary shall ensure that each entity receiving a grant under this section—

“(1) establishes quantifiable goals for the outcome of the project funded with the grant; and

“(2) adequately measures the performance of the project relative to such goals.

“(c) Performance report required.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Each entity that receives a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary a performance report that includes—

“(A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the project funded with the grant relative to the goals established for such project under subsection (b)(1); and

“(B) data supporting such evaluation.

“(2) SUBMISSION.—The report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

“(d) Continuing grants.—The Secretary may only award a continuing grant to an entity under this section if such entity submits a performance report required under subsection (c) that demonstrates effectiveness of the project funded.”.

(a) Development and operation grants.—Subsection (a) of section 106 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a) is amended to read as follows:

“(a) Development and operation grants.—The Secretary shall make grants to the States, from allotments under subsection (f) for each State that applies for a grant under this section, for purposes of assisting the States in improving and implementing a child protective services system that is family-centered, integrates community services, and is capable of providing rapid response to high-risk cases, by carrying out the following:

“(1) Conducting the intake, assessment, screening, and investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect.

“(2) Ensuring that reports concerning a child’s living arrangements or subsistence needs are addressed through services or benefits and that no child is separated from such child’s parent for reasons of poverty.

“(3) Creating and improving the use of multidisciplinary teams and interagency, intra-agency, interstate, and intrastate protocols to enhance fair investigations; and improving legal preparation and representation.

“(4) Complying with the assurances in section 106(b)(2).

“(5) Establishing State and local networks of child and family service providers that support child and family well-being, which shall—

“(A) include agencies, including child protective services, and service providers, that address family-strengthening, parenting skills, child development, early childhood care and learning, child advocacy, public health, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, domestic violence, developmental disabilities, juvenile justice, elementary and secondary education, and child placement; and

“(B) address instances of child abuse and neglect by incorporating evaluations that assess the development of a child, including communication, social, and emotional skills, mental health services, trauma-related services, trauma-informed care, and parental needs.

“(6) Ensuring child protective services is addressing the safety of children and responding to parent and family needs, which shall include—

“(A) family-oriented efforts that emphasize case assessment and follow up casework focused on child safety and child and parent well-being, which may include—

“(i) ensuring parents and children undergo physical and mental health assessments, as appropriate, and ongoing developmental monitoring;

“(ii) multidisciplinary approaches to assessing family needs and connecting the family with services, including prevention services under section 471 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671);

“(iii) organizing a treatment team with the goal of preventing child abuse and neglect, and improving parent and child well-being;

“(iv) case monitoring that observes child well-being; and

“(v) differential response efforts; and

“(B) establishing and maintaining a rapid response system that responds promptly to all reports of child abuse or neglect, with special attention to cases involving children under 3 years of age.

“(7) Educating caseworkers, community service providers, attorneys, parents, and others engaged in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect, which shall include education on—

“(A) practices that help ensure child safety;

“(B) approaches to family-oriented prevention, intervention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect;

“(C) early childhood, child, and adolescent development, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences on such development;

“(D) the relationship between child abuse and domestic violence, and support for non-abusing parents;

“(E) strategies to work with families impacted by substance use disorder and mental health issues (and, when appropriate, be coordinated with prevention efforts funded under section 471 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671));

“(F) effective use of multiple services to address family and child needs, including needs resulting from trauma;

“(G) efforts to improve family and child well-being;

“(H) support for child welfare workers affected by secondary trauma; and

“(I) supporting families and caregivers to combat and prevent unsubstantiated, unfounded, or false reports, including through education on the rights of families and caregivers.

“(8) Creating or improving data systems that can be shared with law enforcement and allow for—

“(A) the identification of cases requiring prompt responses; and

“(B) real-time case monitoring that tracks assessments, service referrals, follow-up, case reviews, and progress toward parent and child goals.

“(9) Improving the general child protective system by developing, improving, and implementing safety assessment tools, providing that such tools, protocols and systems shall not authorize the separation of any child from the legal parent or guardian of such child without a judicial order, except in the case of imminent harm.”.

(b) Eligibility requirements.—

(1) STATE PLAN.—Paragraph (1) of section 106(b) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) is amended to read as follows:

“(1) STATE PLAN.—

“(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a State shall submit to the Secretary a State plan that—

“(i) specifies how the grant will be used, and the State’s strategic plan, to treat child abuse and neglect and enhance community-based, prevention-centered approaches that attempt to prevent child abuse and neglect while strengthening and supporting families whenever possible; and

“(ii) meets the requirements of this subsection.

“(B) COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION.—

“(i) COORDINATION.—Each State, to the maximum extent practicable, shall coordinate its State plan under this subsection with its State plan under part B of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq.) relating to child welfare services and family prevention services under part E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 670 et seq.).

“(ii) CONSULTATION.—In developing a State plan under this subsection, a State shall consult with community-based prevention and service agencies, parents and families affected by child abuse or neglect in the State, law enforcement, including family court judges and prosecutors, and medical professionals engaged in the treatment of child abuse and neglect.

“(C) DURATION AND SUBMISSION OF PLAN.—Each State plan shall—

“(i) be submitted not less than every 5 years; and

“(ii) if necessary, revised by the State to inform the Secretary of any substantive changes, including—

“(I) any changes to State law or regulations, relating to the prevention of child abuse and neglect that may affect the eligibility of the State under this section; or

“(II) any changes in the State’s activities, strategies, or programs under this section.”.

(2) CONTENTS.—Paragraph (2) of section 106(b) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) is amended to read as follows:

“(2) CONTENTS.—A State plan submitted under paragraph (1) shall contain a description of the activities that the State will carry out using amounts received under the grant to achieve the objectives of this title, including—

“(A) an assurance in the form of a certification by the Governor of the State that the State has in effect and is enforcing a State law, or has in effect and is operating a statewide program, relating to child abuse and neglect that includes—

“(i) provisions or procedures for an individual to report known and suspected instances of child abuse and neglect, including a State law for mandatory reporting by individuals required to report such instances;

“(ii) procedures for the immediate screening, risk and safety assessment, and prompt investigation of such reports of alleged abuse and neglect in order to ensure the well-being and safety of children;

“(iii) procedures for immediate steps to be taken to ensure and protect the safety of a victim of child abuse or neglect and of any other child under the same care who may also be in danger of child abuse or neglect and ensuring their placement in a safe environment;

“(iv) methods to preserve the confidentiality of all records in order to protect the rights of the child and of the child's parents or guardians, including requirements ensuring that reports and records made and maintained pursuant to the purposes of this Act shall only be made available to—

“(I) individuals who are the subject of the report;

“(II) Federal, State, or local government entities, or any agent of such entities, as described in clause (xi) of this subparagraph;

“(III) child abuse citizen review panels;

“(IV) child fatality review panels;

“(V) a grand jury or court, upon a finding that information in the record is necessary for the determination of an issue before the court or grand jury; and

“(VI) other entities or classes of individuals statutorily authorized by the State to receive such information pursuant to a legitimate State purpose;

“(v) provisions and procedures requiring that in every case involving a victim of child abuse or neglect which results in a judicial proceeding, a guardian ad litem, who has received education appropriate to the role, including education in early childhood, child, and adolescent development, and domestic violence, and who may be an attorney or a court appointed special advocate who has received education appropriate to that role (or both), shall be appointed to represent the child (who, for purposes of this section, shall have any age limit elected by the State pursuant to section 475(8)(B)(iii) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 675(8)(B)(iii))) in such proceedings—

“(I) to obtain first-hand, a clear understanding of the situation and needs of such child; and

“(II) to make recommendations to the court concerning the best interests of such child;

“(vi) the establishment of citizen review panels in accordance with subsection (c);

“(vii) provisions and procedures to require that a representative of the child protective services agency shall, at the initial time of contact with the individual subject to a child abuse or neglect investigation, advise the individual of the complaints or allegations made against the individual, in a manner that is consistent with laws protecting the rights of the informant;

“(viii) provisions, procedures, and mechanisms—

“(I) for the expedited termination of parental rights in the case of any infant determined to be abandoned under State law; and

“(II) by which individuals who disagree with an official finding of child abuse or neglect can appeal such finding;

“(ix) provisions addressing the professional development of representatives of the child protective services system regarding the legal duties of the representatives, which may consist of various methods of informing such representatives of such duties (including providing such education in different languages if necessary), in order to protect the legal rights and safety of children and their parents and caregivers from the initial time of contact during investigation through treatment;

“(x) provisions for immunity from civil or criminal liability under State and local laws and regulations for individuals making good faith reports of suspected or known instances of child abuse or neglect, or who otherwise provide information or assistance, including medical evaluations or consultations, in connection with a report, investigation, or legal intervention pursuant to a good faith report of child abuse or neglect;

“(xi) provisions to require the State to disclose confidential information to any Federal, State, or local government entity, or any agent of such entity, that has a need for such information in order to carry out its responsibilities under law to protect children from child abuse and neglect;

“(xii) provisions requiring, and procedures in place that facilitate the prompt expungement of any records that are accessible to the general public or are used for purposes of employment or other background checks in cases determined to be unsubstantiated or false, except that nothing in this section shall prevent State child protective services agencies from keeping information on unsubstantiated reports in their casework files to assist in future risk and safety assessment;

“(xiii) provisions and procedures for requiring criminal background record checks that meet the requirements of section 471(a)(20) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 671(a)(20)) for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household;

“(xiv) provisions for systems of technology that support the State child protective services system and track reports of child abuse and neglect from intake through final disposition;

“(xv) provisions and procedures requiring identification and assessment of all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of sex trafficking (as defined in section 103(12) of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7102 (12)));

“(xvi) provisions, procedures, and mechanisms that assure that the State does not require reunification of a surviving child with a parent who has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction—

“(I) to have committed murder (which would have been an offense under section 1111(a) of title 18, United States Code, if the offense had occurred in the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States) of another child of such parent;

“(II) to have committed voluntary manslaughter (which would have been an offense under section 1112(a) of title 18, United States Code, if the offense had occurred in the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States) of another child of such parent;

“(III) to have aided or abetted, attempted, conspired, or solicited to commit such murder or voluntary manslaughter;

“(IV) to have committed a felony assault that results in the serious bodily injury to the surviving child or another child of such parent;

“(V) to have committed sexual abuse against the surviving child or another child of such parent; or

“(VI) to be required to register with a sex offender registry under section 113(a) of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (42 U.S.C. 16913(a)); and

“(xvii) an assurance that, upon the implementation by the State of the provisions, procedures, and mechanisms under clause (xvi), conviction of any one of the felonies listed in clause (xvi) constitute grounds under State law for the termination of parental rights of the convicted parent as to the surviving children (although case-by-case determinations of whether or not to seek termination of parental rights shall be within the sole discretion of the State);

“(B) an assurance that the State has in place procedures for responding to the reporting of medical neglect (including instances of withholding of medically indicated treatment from infants with disabilities who have life-threatening conditions), procedures or programs, or both (within the State child protective services system), to provide for—

“(i) coordination and consultation with individuals designated by and within appropriate health-care facilities;

“(ii) prompt notification by individuals designated by and within appropriate health-care facilities of cases of suspected medical neglect (including instances of withholding of medically indicated treatment from infants with disabilities who have life-threatening conditions); and

“(iii) authority, under State law, for the State child protective services system to pursue any legal remedies, including the authority to initiate legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction, as may be necessary to prevent the withholding of medically indicated treatment from infants with disabilities who have life-threatening conditions;

“(C) an assurance or certification that programs and education conducted under this title address the unique needs of unaccompanied homeless youth, including access to enrollment and support services and that such youth are eligible for under parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq., 670 et seq.) and meet the requirements of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301 et seq.); and

“(D) a description of—

“(i) policies and procedures (including appropriate referrals to child protective service systems and for other appropriate services (including home visiting services and mutual support and parent partner programs)) to address the needs of infants born with and identified as being affected by substance use disorder or withdrawal symptoms resulting from prenatal drug exposure, or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, including a requirement that health care providers involved in the delivery or care of such infants notify the child protective services system of the occurrence of such condition in such infants, except that such notification shall not be construed to—

“(I) establish a definition under Federal law of what constitutes child abuse or neglect; or

“(II) require prosecution for any illegal action;

“(ii) the development of a plan of safe care for the infant born and identified as being affected by substance use disorder or withdrawal symptoms, or a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder to ensure the safety and well-being of such infant following release from the care of health care providers, including through—

“(I) addressing the health and substance use disorder treatment needs of the infant and affected family or caregiver; and

“(II) the development and implementation by the State of monitoring systems regarding the implementation of such plans to determine whether and in what manner local entities are providing, in accordance with State requirements, referrals to and delivery of appropriate services for the infant and affected family or caregiver;

“(iii) policies and procedures to make available to the public on the State website the findings and information about the case of child abuse or neglect which has resulted in a child fatality or near fatality, including a description of—

“(I) how the State will not create an exception to such public disclosure, except in a case in which—

“(aa) the State would like to delay public release of such findings or information (including any previous reports of domestic violence and subsequent actions taken to assess and address such reports) while a criminal investigation or prosecution of such a fatality or near fatality is pending;

“(bb) the State is protecting the identity of a reporter of child abuse or neglect; or

“(cc) the State is withholding identifying information of members of the victim’s family who are not perpetrators of the fatality or near fatality; and

“(II) how the State will ensure that in providing the public disclosure required under this clause, the State will include—

“(aa) the cause and circumstances of the fatality or near fatality;

“(bb) the age and gender of the child; and

“(cc) any previous reports or child abuse or neglect investigations that are relevant to the child abuse or neglect that led to the fatality or near fatality;

“(iv) how the State will use data collected on child abuse or neglect to prevent child fatalities and near fatalities;

“(v) how the State will implement efforts to prevent child fatalities and near fatalities;

“(vi) the cooperation of State law enforcement officials, court of competent jurisdiction, and appropriate State agencies providing human services in the investigation, assessment, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse and neglect;

“(vii) the steps the State will take to improve the education, retention, and supervision of caseworkers and how the State will measure the effectiveness of such efforts;

“(viii) the State’s plan to ensure each child under the age of 3 who is involved in a substantiated case of child abuse or neglect will be referred to the State’s child find system under section 635(a)(5) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1435(a)(5)) in order to determine if the child is an infant or toddler with a disability (as defined in section 632(5) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1432(5)));

“(ix) the State’s plan to improve, as part of a comprehensive State strategy, the professional development for child protective services workers in identifying, assessing, and providing comprehensive services for children who are sex trafficking victims, including the role of child protective services, law enforcement, juvenile justice agencies, and social service agencies, such as runaway and homeless youth shelters;

“(x) the services to be provided under the grant to individuals, families, or communities, either directly or through referrals, aimed at preventing the occurrence of child abuse and neglect;

“(xi) the State’s efforts to ensure professionals who are required to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect are aware of their responsibilities under subparagraph (A)(i) and receive professional development relating to performing such responsibilities that is specific to their profession and workplace;

“(xii) policies and procedures encouraging the appropriate involvement of families in decisionmaking pertaining to children who experienced child abuse or neglect;

“(xiii) the State’s efforts to improve appropriate collaboration among child protective services agencies, domestic violence services agencies, substance use disorder treatment agencies, and other agencies in investigations, interventions, and the delivery of services and treatment provided to children and families affected by child abuse or neglect, including children exposed to domestic violence, where appropriate;

“(xiv) policies and procedures regarding the use of differential response, as applicable, to improve outcomes for children; and

“(xv) the State’s efforts to reduce racial bias in its child protective services system.”.

(3) LIMITATIONS.—Paragraph (3) of section 106(b) of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)) is amended—

(A) in the paragraph heading, by striking “Limitation” and inserting “Limitations”;

(B) by striking “With regard to clauses (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (2)(B),” and inserting the following:

“(A) DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN IDENTIFYING INFORMATION.—With regard to subparagraphs (A)(iii) and (D)(iii) of paragraph (2),”;

(C) by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following:

“(B) PUBLIC ACCESS TO COURT PROCEEDINGS.—Nothing in paragraph (2) shall be construed to limit the State’s flexibility to determine State policies relating to public access to court proceedings to determine child abuse and neglect, except that such policies shall, at a minimum, ensure the safety and well-being of the child, parents, and families.”.

Section 108 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106d) is amended—

Section 110 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106f) is amended to read as follows: