HB340 Alabama 2025 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Kenneth PaschalRepresentative

Republican

Session

2025 Regular Session

Title

Department of Human Resources (DHR); child abuse and neglect; uniform procedure to notify parents or legal guardians of DHR investigation into abuse of own child, created; right to review certain records, provided; DHR authorized to adopt rules

Summary

HB340 would require the Department of Human Resources to notify parents when their child is under an investigation, provide written due process rights and access to records, train staff, adopt a uniform investigation policy, offer family preservation services before removal, and report annually to the Legislature.

What This Bill Does

It creates a uniform process for notifying parents or guardians about investigations into their child, and provides a written explanation of the parent’s due process rights, including access to records, the right to counsel, and the ability to request an administrative review or hearing. It requires DHR employees involved in investigations to receive training and for the department to adopt a uniform policy, with county departments required to follow it and rules to address noncompliant counties. It also requires offering family preservation services before removing a child and prioritizing kinship placements if removal occurs, and it mandates an annual report to the Legislature detailing investigations and related metrics.

Who It Affects

• Parents and legal custodians: would be notified of investigations and granted rights to access records, counsel, and administrative review/hearing.
• Department investigators and other DHR staff: must receive training and follow a uniform investigation policy.
• County departments of human resources: must follow the uniform policy and are subject to rules addressing noncompliance.
• Children and their families: eligible for family preservation services before removal and kinship placement priority if removal is necessary.

Key Provisions

• Uniform notification to parents/legal custodians when an investigation is opened.
• Written explanation of due process rights, including records access, counsel, and administrative review/hearing options.
• If counsel is retained, the department must include counsel on correspondence and allow representation in communications/interviews.
• The department must record and preserve communications with the child when the parent/guardian is not present.
• Mandatory training for department employees involved in investigations.
• The department must adopt rules and a uniform policy; counties must follow the policy; procedures to address noncompliance by counties.
• Before removal, the department must offer family preservation services and prioritize kinship placements if removal occurs, with ISP considerations.
• An annual report to the Legislature detailing investigation metrics (admin review requests, staff trained, placements, removals, etc.).
• Definitions for key terms (Department, Investigation, Legal Custodian, Parent) and applicability to investigations received on/after October 1, 2025.
• Effective date: October 1, 2025.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 22, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Family Law