Gov. Henry Signs "Kelsey's Law" to Reduce Child Abuse, Neglect

Gov. Henry Signs "Kelsey's Law" to Reduce Child Abuse, Neglect

Gov. Brad Henry today signed into law a measure to protect children from abuse and neglect. Named to honor the memory of a 2-year-old Meeker girl who died from blunt trauma last year, the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act offers a multi-pronged approach to the problem.

"An alarming number of families wrestle with the horror and tragedy of child abuse and neglect," Gov. Henry said of House Bill 2840.

"Such crimes against children are unconscionable and cannot be tolerated. If there is anything we can glean from the senseless death of Kelsey Briggs, it is a renewed conviction to prevent such tragedies in the future."

He stressed, however, that the bill does not end the responsibility of state lawmakers. In his proposed executive budget, the Governor has called for an additional $4 million to the state Department of Human Services to hire 112 more child welfare workers over the next two years.

"It is imperative that we do everything in our power to strengthen the ability of child welfare investigators to do their jobs thoroughly," he said.

"Lives literally hang in the balance. We need to ensure that DHS child welfare workers have manageable caseloads and adequate resources."

Authored by state Rep. Kris Steele (R-Shawnee) and Sen. Harry Coates (R-Seminole), HB 2840 includes a number of reforms. It seeks to strengthen training of court-appointed child advocates and make judges more accountable for their rulings in child-placement cases. The legislation also augments the ability of state agencies - namely DHS and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation - to act on behalf of protecting children.

The bill's authors said the law will have a significant impact.

"I am grateful Governor Henry signed this legislation into law," Rep. Steele said.

"This measure will provide greater accountability within the child protection services offered in our state, helping to make Oklahoma a safer place for children."

His sentiments were echoed by Sen. Coates.

"I want to express my thanks to the Governor and everyone in the legislature who gave their full support to this bill," Coates said.

"It is heartbreaking that it took the death of a beautiful, innocent two-year-old to bring the problems in our child protection system to light, but I believe that because of the efforts of her family and so many others, we now have better policies and procedures for protecting abused children like Kelsey."

HB 2840, which will take effect Nov. 1, also establishes a 20-member Oklahoma Children and Juvenile Law Reform Committee to review the state's juvenile laws.

http://www.governor.state.ok.us/display_article.php?article_id=758&article_type=1