Ark. panel OKs bill allowing state to release more info on foster care children abuse

A Senate panel has backed two bills requiring the state to release more information about its child abuse and neglect investigations.

The Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee advanced two bills by Sen. David Johnson of Little Rock to loosen the state's restrictions on information released about cases that result in fatalities or near-fatalities.

Johnson says the Department of Human Services and the governor's office asked him to sponsor the bills in response to the deaths of four children in the state's care last year.

One measure would require the state to place a notice on its Web site within three days of a report of a fatality or near-fatality received by the state's child abuse hotline. The data would include the age, race and gender of the child, the date of incident, the allegations and the placement of the child at the time.

The other bill would also allow that information to be released to the public. The public could also receive, upon request, other information the name of the child in cases that result in fatalities.

The proposals now head to the full Senate for a vote.