Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateVermontEnacted
S 239: An act relating to the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Working Group
Tanya Vyhovsky
S 239 status: Enacted — Senate Message: Signed by Governor May 21, 2026 (updated May 26, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
60OUT OF 100
Score:60/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Low Impact 20/100
Constitutionality90%
Bipartisan70%
Public opinion80%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill establishes a working group of experts to conduct a comprehensive study on the child abuse and neglect reporting system.
Who is affected
State child protective agencies, social workers, and potentially impacted families.
Requirements and enforcement
The working group is required to analyze current reporting mechanisms and identify potential improvements.
Costs and funding
Not stated in the available source.
When it takes effect
Enacted as of May 2026.
Potential benefits
Potential for evidence-based policy improvements and increased systemic oversight regarding child safety reporting.
Risks and tradeoffs
The primary concern is the lack of a guarantee that study findings will result in actionable policy changes or improved outcomes for children.
What is still unknown
The specific composition of the working group, the timeline for reporting findings, and whether identified gaps will be addressed by future legislation remain unknown.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Society
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Identifies systemic gaps in reporting
- Enhances focus on child welfare protocols
- Potential for improved protective outcomes
Risks
- May delay immediate structural reforms
- Study outcomes are not guaranteed to be adopted
- Resources directed to study rather than intervention
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Formalization of review processes
- Structured oversight of reporting systems
- Creation of public-facing study findings
Risks
- Working groups lack direct implementation power
- Findings may be ignored by future legislatures
- Limited transparency in internal study deliberations
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Systemic assessment of abuse reporting
- Identification of barriers to effective response
- Potential for data-driven safety improvements
Risks
- No immediate impact on current emergency response
- Potential for administrative burden on agencies
- Limited scope focusing primarily on reporting
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Source provided is a summary abstract only
04
Where it stands
Official recordSenate Message: Signed by Governor May 21, 2026
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
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06
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