PHOENIX (AP) - The Arizona Senate has passed a bill requiring an outside review of the state’s child welfare agency.
The bill adopted on a 29-0 vote Thursday earmarks $250,000 to hire a group to conduct the review and now goes to the House.
Senate President Andy Biggs pushed the review after a scandal at Child Protective Services involving cases that weren’t investigated.
Gov. Jan Brewer pulled CPS from its parent agency last month and made it a stand-alone department reporting to her. That action requires Legislative authority to become permanent. A report by a team named by Brewer found widespread problems at CPS.
Biggs says Senate Bill 1386 doesn’t interfere with ongoing efforts to improve CPS but said the agency need a comparison to successful agencies in other states.
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