Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act
Encyclopedia
The Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act is an act that was passed by the Oklahoma Senate
Judiciary Committee, which reformed how the state's Department of Human Services
, as well as the courts, handle cases of child abuse
in the state of Oklahoma
, United States
.
It is named after Kelsey Smith-Briggs
, a child who was murdered as a result of child abuse
, despite the authorities being aware that she was already being maltreated. The bill's co-author, Senator Harry Coates, presented the measure in committee.
In 2006, the Oklahoma
state legislature passed the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act. The bill would significantly reform the way courts and the state Department of Human Services handle cases related to child abuse and neglect.
Oklahoma Senate
The Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
Judiciary Committee, which reformed how the state's Department of Human Services
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is an agency of the government of Oklahoma responsible for providing help to individuals and families in need through public assistance programs and managing services for seniors and people with disabilities. The Department is governed by the Commission on...
, as well as the courts, handle cases of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
in the state of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
It is named after Kelsey Smith-Briggs
Kelsey Smith-Briggs
Kelsey Shelton Smith-Briggs is a child abuse victim. She died at the home of her biological mother Raye Dawn Smith, and her stepfather Michael Lee Porter. Her death was ruled a homicide...
, a child who was murdered as a result of child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, despite the authorities being aware that she was already being maltreated. The bill's co-author, Senator Harry Coates, presented the measure in committee.
In 2006, the Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
state legislature passed the Kelsey Smith-Briggs Child Protection Reform Act. The bill would significantly reform the way courts and the state Department of Human Services handle cases related to child abuse and neglect.