Senate Passes Bill Aimed at Preventing Missed Warning Signs in Child Abuse Cases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, February 16, 2026
PHOENIX, ARIZONA—The Arizona Senate is advancing bipartisan legislation today to strengthen child safety investigations and prevent dangerous information gaps that can delay intervention when children show signs of abuse or neglect.
SB 1126, sponsored by Senate Health & Human Services Committee Chair Carine Werner, ensures Department of Child Safety (DCS) caseworkers can quickly obtain critical information from schools during active investigations. The bill requires schools to provide requested educational records and information to DCS investigators and guarantees school employees cannot be prohibited from speaking directly with caseworkers responding to abuse or neglect allegations.
The legislation is designed to address failures identified during legislative oversight reviews of Arizona's child welfare system, where warning signs were reported but agencies lacked timely access to information needed to fully assess risk and intervene sooner.
"Too often, tragedies reveal that pieces of information existed in different places, but the system failed to connect them in time," said Senator Werner. "This bill removes barriers so investigators can get answers quickly and make informed decisions when a child's safety is on the line."
Lawmakers began examining communication breakdowns between schools, child safety officials, and other institutions following several high-profile child death cases that exposed gaps in coordination, delayed information sharing, and missed opportunities for intervention. SB 1126 aims to prevent those failures by ensuring DCS investigators have direct access to relevant school records and personnel during active cases.
Earlier this month, the Senate unanimously approved Senator Werner's companion legislation, SB 1125, which strengthens collaboration between DCS and Arizona's tribal governments by requiring the department to pursue memorandums of understanding focused on communication, transparency, and child welfare coordination.
Together, the measures target systemic weaknesses identified through ongoing legislative investigations by improving coordination among agencies responsible for protecting vulnerable children and ensuring critical warning signs do not fall through bureaucratic gaps.
"Every child deserves a system that responds quickly and works together to keep them safe," said Senator Werner. "These reforms are about making sure information reaches the people responsible for protecting children before it's too late."
SB 1125 and SB 1126 are moving through the House next for consideration.
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For more information, contact:
Kim Quintero
Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus