House . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2009
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
House of Representatives,
Ordered, That 11 members of the House, 8 to be appointed by the speaker and 3 by the minority leader, be authorized to make an investigation and study of the manner in which the commonwealth protects children from abuse and neglect. In the course of its investigation, the committee shall study the following and other related matters:— the balance between protecting children and family preservation, the reporting of or failure to report child abuse and neglect by mandated reporters and others, the investigation of such reports by the department of social services, the qualifications and management of social workers and other staff at the department, the management of records by the department, the capacity of the department to critique itself and respond to criticism, the role of law enforcement, including local police and the district attorney, the role of private providers, including therapists and medical personnel, the capacity to handle high-risk children, and the commonwealth’s role as a guardian in end-of-life decisions.
The committee shall report to the general court from time to time the results of its investigation and study and its recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry its recommendation into effect by filing the same with the clerk of the House of Representatives on or before March 28, 2007.