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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session
DCS; intake hotline; multiple reports
Purpose
Requires the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to assign investigations involving four or more reports of abuse or neglect in a 12-month period to more experienced personnel and to notify the dependency court of DCS hotline reports involving children subject to a dependency action.
Background
DCS must operate a 24/7 centralized intake hotline that receives communications concerning suspected child abuse or neglect. The hotline must be operated to record communications, identify prior reports related to the current communication, provide information to a law enforcement agency if necessary, create DCS reports and determine priority level of investigation (A.R.S. § 8-455).
DCS employs two different types of investigators of child abuse and neglect. Child safety specialists conduct intake assessments and field investigations. The Office of Child Welfare Investigations (OCWI) investigates criminal conduct allegations and must coordinate with local municipal or county law enforcement. OCWI investigators must have a law enforcement background and complete forensic training (A.R.S. § 8-471).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires DCS, upon receipt of four or more reports of abuse or neglect by the same caregiver in less than 12 months, to assign the investigation to a child safety specialist with at least two years of experience or, if available, a specialist who has advanced forensic training.
2. Requires DCS to disclose a hotline call that alleges abuse or neglect of a child who is the subject of a dependency action to the court that has jurisdiction over the child's dependency action.
3. Makes technical and conforming changes.
4. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Prepared by Senate Research
January 23, 2026
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