H.R.712 - Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.712, the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act, aims to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act. The amendment directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to include data on animal abuse in the national clearinghouse for information related to child abuse and neglect. This bill seeks to recognize the correlation between animal abuse and child abuse.
Expected Effects
The primary effect of this bill would be the expansion of the national clearinghouse to include data on animal abuse. This could lead to a better understanding of the link between child abuse and animal abuse. Ultimately, this may improve prevention and intervention strategies for both.
Potential Benefits
- Enhanced data collection on the correlation between child abuse and animal abuse.
- Improved understanding of the dynamics of family violence.
- Potential for more effective intervention strategies for at-risk children and animals.
- Increased awareness among professionals and the public about the link between these forms of abuse.
- Better allocation of resources for prevention and treatment programs.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential for increased administrative burden on the Department of Health and Human Services.
- Possible privacy concerns related to data collection and sharing.
- Risk of misinterpreting data if the correlation is not carefully analyzed.
- Potential for overreach in defining animal abuse, impacting responsible animal owners.
- Diversion of resources from other critical child abuse prevention programs.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill appears to align with the general welfare clause of the Constitution, as it aims to improve the well-being of children and animals. Specifically, the preamble states the Constitution is intended to "promote the general Welfare". The bill does not appear to infringe upon any specific constitutional rights or limitations. The power to regulate and collect data for the purpose of promoting welfare is generally understood to fall within the purview of Congress.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).