Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam) announced that the Assembly passed legislation aimed at aiding local law enforcement in cases involving missing children (A. 5803).

“Time is of the essence when a child goes missing and this legislation is an important step in making sure no stone is left unturned,” Assemblyman Santabarbara said. “CPS records can contain valuable information for law enforcement and need to be easily accessible in an emergency so that law enforcement can have all the tools necessary to bring a child home safely.”

The legislation, which is sponsored by Assemblyman Santabarbara, clarifies current law to make it easier for law enforcement to access Child Protective Services (CPS) records when investigating cases involving missing children. The bill requires the records to be made available to law enforcement in cases where there is reason to believe a family member is named in a CPS report for abuse of maltreatment and sets forth an expedited appeal procedure if their request is denied.