Alaska State Legislature
News from the House Majority

Jerry Ritter, House Majority Press Secretary
State Capitol
Juneau, AK 99801
Phone: (907) 465-3804
web site: http://www.akrepublicans.org
Actuality line: 1-800-478-6540

Looking Out for Alaska's Children

Senate/House Approve Tougher Laws Protecting Kids

For Immediate Release May 10, 1998 Contact: Rep. Fred Dyson at (907) 465-2199.

Juneau -- The Alaska Senate Sunday approved House Bill 375, an omnibus measure that rewrites, modifies, changes, and improves Alaska laws and statutes affecting children in need of aid and foster care. House Bill 375 strengthens Alaska laws regarding crimes against children. It not only eliminates many roadblocks to inter-agency cooperation, it mandates such cooperation.

"House Bill 375 gives clear and specific direction to the Division of Family and Youth Services, provides clear standards for social workers, and makes child protection the number-one priority for DFYS," said Representative Fred Dyson (R-Eagle River), Chairman of the Legislative Children's Caucus, who carried the bill in the House. "While the bill does not guarantee that mistakes won't happen, that all court hearings will be fair, that parents will 'get their act together,' it does put us on the right road," Dyson said

House Bill 375 allows earlier intervention in child abuse and neglect cases. The bill creates a statewide Child Fatality Review Team to review suspicious deaths of children and facilitates the formation of multi-disciplinary teams to deal with child abuse cases. It also permits foster care parents and other care givers to get all relevant information on children, including medical and behavioral histories and criminal backgrounds and provides for criminal checks for prospective caregivers. The measure also clarifies legal definitions and sets firm deadlines for placement proceedings.

"The Legislative Majority has made child protection one of the cornerstones of our Commitment to Alaska. We have done our best to keep child protection from becoming a partisan issue," said Speaker of the House Gail Phillips (R-Homer). "Children are not political pawns and should never be treated that way. With this bill we have taken a large and very positive step down the road to the day when we have no more abused Alaskan children," Phillips said.

"I also want to express my sincere appreciation to all the legislators, parents, agency representatives, and others who worked together so tirelessly to get these child protection measures passed," Phillips said.

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