VERMONT
Burlington Free Press
Paris Achen, Free Press Staff Writer April 10, 2015
MONTPELIER – The House Committee on Human Services has unanimously advanced an overarching child-protection bill after scrapping a controversial provision that would have created a new felony crime of failure to protect a child.
The committee’s adaptation of S. 9 would ratchet up fines for three existing crimes against children and provide a road map for scrutinizing and improving all the moving parts of the child-welfare system. The deaths of two toddlers whose families were in the state’s child-welfare system provided the impetus for the legislation.
“Clearly, a bill cannot prevent child abuse and neglect, but this bill is a good start to an ongoing conversation about how to improve the system,” said committee Chairwoman Ann Pugh, D-South Burlington.
The bill, approved in February by the Senate, now proceeds to the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee wrapped into its 55-page draft separate legislation (H-41) known as “Jordan’s Bill” that is designed to help provide child protection from hazing.
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