Establish central registry for individuals who are the subject of a substantiated report of child abuse or neglect

This bill establishes a statewide central registry in Montana to maintain records of individuals who have been found to have committed substantiated child abuse or neglect, directly affecting those individuals and organizations conducting background checks. The key mechanism requires that before anyone is added to the registry, they must receive written notice of the allegations and be granted a court hearing where a judge must confirm the findings by a preponderance of the evidence. The bill also defines specific categories for substantiated, unfounded, and unsubstantiated reports and outlines procedures for individuals to request removal of their names from the registry after appeals are exhausted.