Blunt, Brown Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Improve Reporting of Child Abuse Deaths, Prevent Future Fatalities

Statement

Today, U.S. Senators Roy Blunt (Mo.) and Sherrod Brown (Ohio) introduced bipartisan legislation, the Child Abuse Deaths Disclosure Act, which would require states to report data on all child-abuse related deaths and develop recommendations to prevent child abuse deaths from occurring in the first place.

The senators' bill would provide policymakers and public health officials with a clearer picture of the number of child abuse fatalities and allow states to collect important information to better assess when and why child abuse fatalities occur. "We have an obligation to do all we can to keep children safe," said Blunt. "Having a complete and accurate understanding of the circumstances surrounding every child abuse-related death will give policymakers, law enforcement, and public health officials the information they need to prevent these heinous deaths."

"The only way we can prevent more of these tragic deaths is if we get an accurate picture of the problem and treat child abuse prevention like the public health issue that it is. That is why we must get an accurate picture of the problem and tailor our response to meet the needs of families in Ohio and around the country," said Brown

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