(WASHINGTON, D.C.) –Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District -- Kansas) today introduced legislation to improve public disclosure on behalf of foster and adopted children suffering abuse in their homes.

“We shouldn’t wait for another incident like the Brian Edgar case to take action and protect children who are unable to protect themselves,” Moore said. “When a case of child abuse ends in death, the system has failed. Under current law, the public can’t find out what went wrong. Opening these records is the way to fix problems and ensure the safety of foster and adopted children.”

In December 2002, 9-year-old Brian Edgar of Kansas City, Kan., died of asphyxiation at the hands of his adoptive parents and babysitter, who bound him with duct tape. He suffocated after being wrapped from head to toe as punishment for stealing food, according to court testimony.

To find a solution to cases of serious child abuse and death, Moore worked with officials, including Kansas State Senator David Adkins, who offered a similar initiative in the Kansas legislature. As a result, Moore has introduced the Public Records Open to End Child Tragedy (PROTECT) Act.

The PROTECT Act would require states to provide public disclosure in cases of child fatality, near fatality, or felony child abuse. It would mandate that a judge review and open records deemed appropriate to document cases of serious child abuse to foster and adopted children. Under this legislation, authorities could further investigate incidents endangering youth and look for consistent weaknesses in the protections system—whether related to insufficient funding, bureaucratic inefficiency, poor oversight, or other shortcomings. The bill seeks to preserve a child’s right to privacy and offers a clear way to get to the bottom of problems in the child protection system.

“One child’s death is one too many,” Moore said. “As a District Attorney, I saw terrible cases of child abuse. I’m moving forward with this bill to save kids’ lives. Too many children fall through the cracks because we are unable to determine why the system isn’t protecting them. It’s time to stop these tragedies.”

Senator Adkins’ initiative passed the Kansas Senate unanimously in late March.