2019 -- H 5430

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LC001492

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - CHILD ADVOCATE OFFICE

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, Casimiro, Ackerman, Fellela, and Lyle

     Date Introduced: February 14, 2019

     Referred To: House Health, Education & Welfare

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 42-73-2.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-73 entitled "Child

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Advocate Office" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     42-73-2.3. Child fatality reviews.

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     (a) The department of children, youth and families shall notify the office of the child

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advocate verbally and electronically within forty-eight (48) hours of a confirmed fatality or near

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fatality of a child who is the subject of a DCYF case and shall provide the office of the child

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advocate with access to any written material about the case.

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     (b) The child advocate, working with a voluntary and confidential child-fatality-review

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panel, whose members may vary on a case-by-case basis, shall review the case records of all

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notifications in accordance with § 42-73-2.3(a) of fatalities and near fatalities of children under

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twenty-one (21) years of age, if:

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     (1) The fatality or near fatality occurs while in the custody of, or involved with, the

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department, or if the child's family previously received services from the department;

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     (2) The fatality or near fatality is alleged to be from abuse or neglect of the child and the

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child or child's family had prior contact with the department; or

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     (3) 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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     (c) The child-fatality-review panel shall assess and analyze such cases; make

 

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recommendations regarding such cases; and make recommendations for improvements to laws,

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policies, and practices that support the safety of children. Each report shall be made public within

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thirty (30) days of its completion.

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     (d) The members of the child-fatality-review panel, established in accordance with this

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section, shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of § 42-73-10.

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     (e) The child advocate shall publicly announce the convening of a child-fatality-review

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panel, including the age of the child involved.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - CHILD ADVOCATE OFFICE

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     This act would add the requirement that in DCYF cases resulting in a fatality or near

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fatality of a child, one of the requirements for the office of the child advocate to investigate the

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case would be that the child or the child's family had prior contact with the DCYF.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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