Karly’s Law is a law that reformed

child abuse Child abuse (also called child endangerment or child maltreatment) is physical abuse, physical, child sexual abuse, sexual, emotional and/or psychological abuse, psychological maltreatment or Child neglect, neglect of a child, especially by a p ...

investigation standards and procedures in the state of

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

. Karly’s Law is named for a three-year-old girl, Karly Sheehan, who died as a result of child abuse and

neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...

in 2005.

Background

Karly's Law was first introduced as House Bill 3328 in 2007. It was created as a result of the death of Karly Sheehan in 2005. Karly was a three-year-old girl who died as a result of neglect and abuse from her mother's boyfriend, Shawn Wesley Field. Her situation was brought to the attention of the Department of Health and Human Services as well as Law Enforcement, who interviewed Karly's mother, father and her mother's significant other twice and concluded that her injuries were not a result of child abuse.Zacharias, Karen. A Silence of Mockingbirds. MacAdam/Cage

Procedural history

The bill was proposed and sponsored by Rep Sara Gelser in 2007. It passed the

Oregon House of Representatives The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, the upper house being the Oregon State Senate. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of ...

unanimously on 30 April 2007, where it went on to the Oregon state Senate Human Services Committee. The

Oregon Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

also passed the bill unanimously, and it was sent back to the House with minor clarifying amendments. The House passed these amendments, and Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed them into law.

Law requirements

The law mandates that children with suspicious injuries during the course of an abuse investigation receive medical treatment within 48 hours. The Oregon Department of Human Services and trained medical providers are to assess the injuries. The law sets protocol and procedures if abuse is suspected.

Legacy

After Karly's law was passed, the quantity of children who have been assessed for abuse in the state of Oregon rose by 140%. This does not imply a rise in the child abuse rates in the State of Oregon, simply that the number of children being inspected for possible child abuse-related injuries has gone up. In 2009, Oregon had 67,885 total referrals for child abuse and neglect. Of those, 28,584 reports were referred for investigation. Prior to the passage of HR 3328 in 2007, these numbers were: 46,524 total referrals for child abuse and neglect, 23,529 were referred for investigation in 2004.

References

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External links

Karly's Law summary
2007 in American law Child abuse law Oregon law