Relating to the composition of the Critical Incident Review Team

HB 5530 moves the Critical Incident Review Team from the Department of Human Services (DHS) to the Office of Inspector General and updates its membership. The team reviews child fatalities or near-fatalities involving DHS cases, including children in foster care or connected to families with DHS involvement, to identify prevention strategies. Key changes include adding a Senate member (appointed by the Senate President) and a House member (appointed by the House Speaker) as non-voting ex-officio members, while retaining key DHS and child welfare stakeholders. The bill aims to improve oversight of child welfare system safety by centralizing the review process under the Inspector General's office.