[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 191 (Tuesday, December 13, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S8549]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERRY (for himself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 1984. A bill to establish a commission to develop a national 
strategy and recommendations for reducing fatalities resulting from 
child abuse and neglect; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, each year more than 6 million children in 
the United States are reported as victims of child abuse and neglect. 
Tragically, at least 1,700 of those children lose their lives--most 
under the age of four. Maltreatment deaths are preventable and it is 
our duty to fight for those who are too young to defend and speak for 
themselves.
  Currently, the United States does not have a comprehensive strategy 
for addressing child abuse fatalities. We also lack a national standard 
for reporting these fatalities, leaving many of these deaths to be 
largely underreported. That is why today I am introducing the Protect 
Our Kids Act, which will establish the Commission to Eliminate Child 
Abuse and Neglect Fatalities.
  This commission will be comprised of a variety of professionals with 
diverse experience and perspectives. They will develop a national 
strategy for reducing child abuse and neglect fatalities, and provide 
comprehensive recommendations for all levels of government. They will 
analyze the effectiveness of existing programs designed to prevent or 
identify maltreatment deaths and learn more about what works and what 
doesn't. Child abuse fatalities are not isolated to one part of our 
country or another.
  Once the commission completes their, work they will submit a report 
with their findings to Congress and the report will be publicly 
available. The loss of just one child to abuse is one child too many. I 
would like to thank my colleague, Senator Collins, for working with me 
on this bipartisan bill to protect our Nation's children. A number of 
organizations have been integral to the development of the legislation 
and have endorsed it, including the National Coalition to End Child 
Abuse Deaths whose members include the National Association of Social 
Workers, NASW, the National Center for the Review and Prevention of 
Child Deaths, NCRPCD, National Children's Alliance, NCA, Every Child 
Matters Education Fund, ECMEF, and the National District Attorney's 
Association, NDAA.
  I look forward to our continued progress in developing a more 
effective approach to improving child welfare and ask all of my 
colleagues to support this important legislation.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to join Senator Kerry in 
introducing the Protect Our Kids Act, to create a commission with the 
goal of eliminating child abuse fatalities. The effort to address child 
abuse transcends ideological and partisan lines. This is not a 
Democratic or Republican issue. This is an American issue. One that we 
can't wish away, but that we must face head on and work to eradicate. 
Earlier this year, Senator Kerry and I introduced a resolution 
recognizing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Protect Our Kids 
Act further represents our commitment to put an end to child abuse in 
the United States.
  Child abuse fatalities are preventable; yet, approximately 1,770 
children are reported as dying from child abuse each year, and many 
experts believe the actual number may be significantly higher. This 
legislation would establish a commission to develop a comprehensive 
national strategy for reducing child abuse fatalities. The commission 
will include a variety of professionals with expertise in areas such as 
child welfare advocacy, child development, pediatrics, medical 
examining, social work, law enforcement and education.
  Through new research, hearings and the use and coordination of 
existing information, the commission will provide a report with their 
recommendations. In order to develop a comprehensive strategy, the 
commission must consider several questions including what is the extent 
to which incidents of child abuse and neglect fatalities are increasing 
in number, how to develop a system to track and record incidents, and 
what models exist for preventing child maltreatment deaths.
  Increased understanding of maltreatment deaths can lead to 
improvement in agency systems and practices to protect children and 
prevent child abuse and neglect. Therefore, it is imperative that we 
take action to capitalize on the commission's findings. This 
legislation requires the commission's report to be submitted to 
relevant Federal agencies and Congressional committees. All agencies 
with recommendations that fall under their jurisdiction must then 
submit their reaction and plans to address such recommendations to 
Congress within 6 months.
  Approximately 6 million kids are reported to be abused or neglected 
each year. We know this can be prevented. This legislation is an 
important step that Congress and our Nation should take in order to 
better protect our kids.

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