(Ohio) – Democratic Senator, Sherrod Brown is working with Missouri Republican Senator, Roy Blunt to introduce legislation that requires states to collect data on deaths stemming from child abuse.
The legislation also includes plans that would devise ways to prevent child-abuse-related deaths by working with the Department of Health and Human Services, pediatricians, public health, and law enforcement officials.
Reports indicate the legislation would help states better gauge the severity of the problem and to identify when and why fatalities happen. Senator Brown noted his hope would be to see the proposal included in the larger bill, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPT) that Congress is currently considering.
Brown indicated an estimated 1,720 children died from abuse and neglect in 2017.
Brown’s office said the bill is also supported by organizations including the National Children’s Alliance, Child Welfare League of America, Children’s Advocacy Institute, Within Our Reach, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities.
