STATEHOUSE (Jan. 30, 2013) — Two bills authored by State Sen. Travis Holdman (R-Markle) to improve child services in Indiana passed out of the Senate Committee on Judiciary today by unanimous votes. Both proposals originated from the Department of Child Services (DCS) Interim Study Committee, which Holdman chaired.

Senate Bill 125 would establish a new Commission on Improving the Status of Children in Indiana. This would consist of 17 voting members, including the DCS commissioner, four lawmakers, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and other leaders in the mental health, judiciary and education fields.

“Over the summer, members of the DCS Interim Study Committee determined that more needed to be done to protect our most vulnerable,” Holdman said. “We’re now hoping to create a long-term comission that would continually assess the state of child services and make recommendations for improvement. This will allow us to more immediately address any issues in the system and take action to protect our kids.”

The committee also approved Senate Bill 164, which would allow prosecuting attorneys to file a child in need of services (CHINS) petition with a juvenile court. Currently, DCS is the only entity allowed to file a CHINS petition, which sets in motion legal action for the state to intervene to protect a child.

“Prior to 2009, prosecutors had the ability to file a CHINS petition on behalf of a child in need,” Holdman said. “This legislation would restore that authority, allowing prosecutors to intervene in situations that require immediate legal action. The change would provide a safety net where cases that could potentially slip through the cracks would be brought to the attention of DCS officials.”

Both bills now move to the full Senate for further consideration.