On October 29, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill (S. 1601) to reauthorize the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act (P.L. 101-630). The Committee heard testimony concerning the legislation on September 24 (see The Source, 9/26/03).
Sponsored by Chair Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO), S. 1601 would authorize a comprehensive tribal child abuse and family violence program, including the establishment of safety measures for child protection workers and a database for accessing current national central registries for child abuse information. The bill also would authorize a federal study of the intergovernmental and jurisdictional impediments to reducing child abuse. In addition, S. 1601 would expand the definition of “child abuse” to include children who are the victims of family violence.
Prior to final approval, the committee approved, by voice vote, a manager’s amendment that would give law enforcement agencies 18 months to investigate child abuse cases, allow tribes to participate in the organization of child abuse prevention programs, and clarify the process for awarding grants to tribal organizations participating in child abuse prevention programs.
