2016 -- S 2717

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LC004738

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN

FAMILY COURT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Coyne, Crowley, Archambault, Goldin, and Conley

     Date Introduced: March 08, 2016

     Referred To: Senate Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 14-1-30 of the General Laws in Chapter 14-1 entitled "Proceedings

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in Family Court" is hereby amended as follows:

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     14-1-30. Conduct of hearings. -- In the hearing of any case, the general public shall be

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excluded; only an attorney or attorneys, selected by the parents or guardian of a child to represent

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the child, may attend, and only those other persons shall be admitted who have a direct interest in

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the case, and as the justice may direct. All cases involving children shall be heard separately and

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apart from the trial of cases against adults. Except, any child proceeding pursuant to §14-1-

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5(1)(iv) for child abuse or neglect may be open to the general public if the court makes an

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affirmative finding that opening the proceeding to the general public is in the best interests of the

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child who is the subject of the proceeding. In determining whether opening all or part of the

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proceeding is in the best interest of the child who is the subject of the proceeding, the judge shall

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consider and give due weight to the desires of that child when appropriate.

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     SECTION 2. Section 42-72-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-72 entitled “Department

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of Children, Youth, and Families” is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-72-8. Confidentiality of records. -- (a) Any records of the department pertaining to

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children and their families in need of service pursuant to the provisions of this chapter; or for

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whom an application for services has been made, shall be confidential and only disclosed as

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provided by law.

 

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     (b) Records may be disclosed when necessary:

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     (1) To individuals, or public or private agencies engaged in medical, psychological or

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psychiatric diagnosis or treatment or education of the person under the supervision of the

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department;

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     (2) To individuals or public or private agencies for the purposes of temporary or

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permanent placement of the person, and when the director determines that the disclosure is

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needed to accomplish that placement including any and all health care information obtained by

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the department in accordance with the provisions of chapter 5-37.3 of the general laws and

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applicable federal laws and regulations;

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     (3) When the director determines that there is a risk of physical injury by the person to

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himself or herself or others, and that disclosure of the records is necessary to reduce that risk;

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     (4) To the family court including periodic reports regarding the care and treatment of

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children; provided, that if a child is represented by a guardian ad litem or attorney, a copy of the

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family court report will be made available to the guardian ad litem or attorney prior to its

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submission;

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     (5) To inform any person who made a report of child abuse or neglect pursuant to § 40-

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11-3, whether services have been provided the child as a result of the report; provided, however,

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that no facts or information shall be released pursuant to this subsection other than the fact that

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services have been or are being provided;

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     (6) To permit access to computer records relating to child abuse and neglect

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investigations by physicians who are examining a child when the physician believes that there is

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reasonable cause to suspect that a child may have been abused or neglected;

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     (7) To the office of the department of attorney general upon the request of the attorney

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general or assistant attorney general when the office is engaged in the investigation of or

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prosecution of criminal conduct by another relating to the child or other children within the same

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family unit;

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     (8) To the department of corrections in the case of an individual who has been transferred

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to the jurisdiction of that department pursuant to the provisions of § 14-1-7.3 "certification" or §

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14-1-7.1 "waiver of jurisdiction"; and

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     (9) To the office of the department of the attorney general upon the request of the

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attorney general or assistant attorney general when the office is engaged in the investigation of or

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prosecution of criminal conduct as defined in § 40-11-3.2.

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     (10) To individuals employed by a state or county child welfare agency outside of Rhode

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Island when the director determines that the information is needed to ensure the care, protection

 

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and/or treatment of any child; provided, however, any records relating to allegations previously

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determined to be unfounded, unsubstantiated, or not indicated shall not be disclosed.

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     (11) Whenever a person previously under the supervision of the training school becomes

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subject to the jurisdiction of the department of corrections as an adult offender, the director of

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corrections or his or her designee shall receive, upon request, the portions of the person's training

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school records limited to the escape history, disciplinary record, and juvenile classification

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history.

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     (12) In an administrative hearing held pursuant to § 42-35-9, the records, or exact copies

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of the records, shall be delivered to the administrative hearing officer pursuant to a written

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request by one of the parties, and shall be delivered to the party making the request or shall be

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reviewed in camera by the administrative hearing officer for purposes of making a determination

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of relevancy to the merits of the administrative matter pending before the hearing officer, as the

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hearing officer may direct. If the records or a portion are relevant to the matter, those records may

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be viewed and/or copied by counsel of record, at the expense of the party requesting the records.

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The records shall not be disseminated in any form beyond the parties, counsel of record and their

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agents, and any experts, except as otherwise specifically authorized by the hearing officer, and

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provided further that at the conclusion of the action, the records shall be sealed.

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     (13) In a criminal or civil action, the records, or exact copies of the records, shall be

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delivered to a court of proper jurisdiction pursuant to a subpoena duces tecum, properly issued by

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one of the parties, and shall be delivered to the party issuing the subpoena or shall be reviewed in

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camera by the trial justice for purposes of making a determination of relevancy to the merits of

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the civil or criminal action pending before the court, as the court may direct. If the records or a

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portion are relevant to the civil or criminal action, those records may be viewed and/or copied by

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counsel of record, at the expense of the party requesting the records. The court shall issue a

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protective order preventing dissemination of the records in any form beyond the parties, counsel

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of record and their agents, and any experts, except as otherwise specifically authorized by the

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court, and provided further that at the conclusion of the action, all records shall be sealed.

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     (c) The director may shall disclose the findings and facts or other information about a

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child abuse or neglect case as the director deems necessary in a case of child abuse or neglect

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which that has resulted in a child fatality or near fatality.

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     (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c)(2) of this section, the data or

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information which must be disclosed includes, without limitation:

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     (i) A summary of the report of abuse or neglect and a factual description of the contents

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of the report;

 

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     (ii) The date of birth and gender of the child;

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     (iii) The date that the child suffered the fatality or near fatality;

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     (iv) The cause of the fatality or near fatality, if such information has been determined;

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     (v) Whether the department of children, youth, and families had any contact with the

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child or a member of the child’s family or household before the fatality or near fatality and, if so:

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     (A) The frequency of any contact or communication with the child or a member of the

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child’s family or household before the fatality or near fatality and the date on which the last

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contact or communication occurred before the fatality or near fatality;

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     (B) Whether the agency which provides child welfare services provided any child welfare

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services to the child or to a member of the child’s family or household before or at the time of the

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fatality or near fatality;

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     (C) Whether the agency which provides child welfare services made any referrals for

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child welfare services for the child or for a member of the child’s family or household before or at

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the time of the fatality or near fatality;

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     (D) Whether the agency which provides child welfare services took any other action

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concerning the welfare of the child before or at the time of the fatality or near fatality; and

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     (E) A summary of the status of the child's case at the time of the fatality or near fatality,

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including, without limitation, whether the child's case was closed by the agency which provides

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child welfare services before the fatality or near fatality and, if so, the reasons why the case was

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closed; and

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     (vi) Whether the department of children, youth, and families, in response to the fatality or

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near fatality:

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     (A) Has provided or intends to provide child welfare services to the child or to a member

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of the child’s family or household;

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     (B) Has made or intends to make a referral for child welfare services for the child or for a

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member of the child's family or household; and

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     (C) Has taken or intends to take any other action concerning the welfare and safety of the

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child or any member of the child's family or household.

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     (2) The director shall not disclose the following data or information pursuant to

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subsection (c)(1) of this section:

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     (i) Except as otherwise provided by law, data or information concerning the identity of

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the person responsible for reporting the abuse or neglect of the child to a public agency;

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     (ii) The name of the child who suffered a fatality or near fatality or the name of any

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member of the family or other person who lives in the household of the child who suffered

 

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fatality or near fatality;

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     (iii) A privileged communication between an attorney and client; and

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     (iv) Information that may undermine a criminal investigation or pending criminal

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prosecution.

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     (d) If a public panel is convened or established by the department to evaluate the extent to

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which the department is discharging its child protection responsibilities, the panel or any of its

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members or staff shall not disclose identifying information about a specific child protection case

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nor make public any identifying information provided by the department except as may be

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authorized by law. Any person who violates this subsection shall be subject to civil sanctions as

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provided by law.

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     (e) If a public panel is convened or established by the department, this panel, in the

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course of its evaluation, may review, but shall not investigate, any child fatality that is under the

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jurisdiction of the child advocate in accordance with the provisions of § 42-73-7(2).

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     (f) In the event records and information contained within DCYF records are shared with

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individuals or public or private agencies as specified in subsection (b) above, any such individual

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and/or public or private agency shall be advised that the shared information cannot be further

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disclosed, except as specifically provided for under applicable federal and/or state law and

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regulation. Any individual and/or public or private agency who violates this subsection shall be

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subject to civil sanctions as provided in chapter 37.3 of title 5, and any other federal or state law

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pertinent thereto.

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     SECTION 3. Sections 42-73-2.1, 42-73-2.2 and 42-73-6 of the General Laws in Chapter

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42-73 entitled “Child Advocate Office” are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-73-2.1. Advisory committee established. -- There is hereby established an advisory

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committee to the office of the child advocate established under § 42-73-1. The advisory

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committee shall consist of nine (9) members, one attorney appointed by the Rhode Island Bar

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Association; one judge or magistrate of the family court appointed by the chief judge of the

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family court; one pediatrician with expertise in child and adolescent treatment or child abuse and

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neglect appointed by the Rhode Island Medical Society; one psychologist with expertise in child

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and adolescent treatment appointed by the Rhode Island Psychological Association; one Licensed

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Independent Clinical Social Worker appointed by the Rhode Island Chapter of the National

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Association of Social Workers; one psychiatrist with expertise in child and adolescent treatment

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appointed by the Rhode Island Medical Society; and three (3) members, one of whom is a youth

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or parent (foster or birth) formerly involved in the state child welfare system, familiar with duties

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established under § 42-73-7, appointed by the child advocate. The child advocate may

 

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temporarily appoint up to two (2) members for the purpose of reviewing child fatalities of a

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particular case if the advocate determines that additional expertise would benefit the review

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process for no more than six (6) months or the conclusion of said case, whichever is less. No one

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shall be eligible for appointment unless he or she is a resident of this state. No member of the

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advisory committee shall be a person who is a volunteer for, a board member of, or is employed

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by or contractor of, any entity or agency subject to the review of, or evaluation or monitoring by

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the child advocate pursuant to chapter 73 of title 42, or who lobbies on behalf of any entity or

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agency subject to the review of, or evaluation or monitoring by, the child advocate pursuant to

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chapter 73 of title 42. Each permanent member of the advisory committee shall serve a term of

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five (5) years and may be reappointed at the conclusion of such term. All initial appointments to

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the advisory committee shall be made no later than October 1, 2014. Any vacancy in the

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membership of the committee shall be filled by the appointing authority for the unexpired portion

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of the term. The committee shall elect from among the members a chair and a vice-chair.

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     42-73-2.2. Duties. -- It shall be the duty of the advisory committee to:

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     (a) Provide advice and support to the child advocate related to the duties described in §

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42-73-7. The committee's duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

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     (1) Establish a regular meeting schedule and form subcommittees as may be appropriate;

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     (2) Meet with the child advocate and staff to review and assess patterns of treatment and

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services, policy implications, and necessary systemic improvements;

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     (3) Provide an annual report on its activities and recommendations in conjunction with

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the child advocate, and submit the report to the governor, the president of the senate, and the

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speaker of the house of representatives, on or by December 31, 2015, and annually thereafter. ;

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and

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     (4) Review the records of selected cases of deaths of children under eighteen (18) years

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of age, if:

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     (i) The child dies while in the custody of or involved with an agency which provides

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child welfare services, or if the child’s family previously received services from such an agency;

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     (ii) The death is alleged to be from abuse or neglect of the child; or

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     (iii) A sibling, household member or day care provider has been the subject of a child

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abuse and neglect investigation within the previous twelve (12) months, including, without

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limitation, cases in which the report was unsubstantiated or the investigation is currently pending.

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     The committee shall assess and analyze such cases, make recommendations regarding

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such cases, and make recommendations for improvements to laws, policies and practices that

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support the safety of children and prevent future deaths of children.

 

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     (b) The advisory committee shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of § 42-73-

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10.

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     42-73-6. Annual report. -- The child advocate shall annually submit to the governor and

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the general assembly, a detailed report analyzing the work of his or her office and any

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recommendations resulting therefrom., including non-identifying child fatality and near fatality

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information and recommendations. The report shall be posted on the office of the child advocate's

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website.

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     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO DELINQUENT AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN -- PROCEEDINGS IN

FAMILY COURT

***

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     This act would make hearings on child abuse or neglect cases open to the public if doing

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so would be in the best interest of the child. It would also provide that the director of DCYF

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disclose findings and facts of investigations when there is a fatality or near fatality of a child. It

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would also require that the director of DCYF disclose without limitation, information regarding

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the age and gender of a child who suffers a fatality or near fatality, the cause and date of said

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fatality or near fatality and whether the department has had contact with the child, the child’s

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family or household prior to the fatality or near fatality. It would also require the department to

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disclose whether it will provide services to the child or child’s family in response to the fatality or

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near fatality.

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     This act shall take effect upon passage.

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