On December 19 the Protect Our Kids Act of 2012 (H.R. 6655) was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and sent to the Senate for consideration. Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced Protect Our Kids legislation (S. 3705) in the U.S. Senate on December 21 with bipartisan support, including the 2011 version’s sponsor, Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).
The Protect Our Kids Act would establish a national task force to study and evaluate child welfare systems and develop a national strategy with policy recommendations to address and prevent child fatalities resulting from maltreatment.
Despite the recent flurry of activity surrounding this particular topic (including a hearing in the House Ways & Means committee), it appears this bill will not make it to the President’s desk by the end of the 112th congressional session, as today is the last day of the session. According to the Children’s Monitor, this legislation will more than likely be re-introduced during the 113th congressional session, set to convene Thursday. We will be tracking this bill once it is reintroduced.
