00                      CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 171(JUD)                                                                   
01 "An Act relating to multidisciplinary child protection teams; and relating to                                           
02 investigation of child abuse or neglect."                                                                               
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 47.14.300(a) is repealed and reenacted to read:                                                    
05            (a)  The department or another investigating agency with expertise in child                                  
06       abuse or neglect may facilitate the initial establishment of multidisciplinary child                              
07       protection teams to assist in the evaluation and investigation of reports of child abuse                          
08       or neglect, as defined in AS 47.17.290, made under AS 47.17 or initiated by the                                   
09       department or a law enforcement agency and to provide consultation and coordination                               
10       for agencies involved in child-in-need-of-aid cases under AS 47.10. The                                           
11       multidisciplinary child protection teams shall                                                                    
12                 (1)  ensure that investigations involving child abuse or neglect are                                    
13       coordinated and conducted by trained investigators;                                                               
14                 (2)  take and recommend steps to avoid duplicative interviews of                                        

01       children;                                                                                                         
02                 (3)  assist in the reduction of trauma to a child and family involved in                                
03       an investigation of child abuse or neglect; and                                                                   
04                 (4)  review records, provide consultation, and make recommendations                                     
05       to the department pertaining to a child-in-need of aid case under AS 47.10 referred to                            
06       the team by a team member.                                                                                        
07    * Sec. 2. AS 47.14.300(b) is repealed and reenacted to read:                                                       
08            (b)  A team established under (a) of this section may, to the extent feasible, be                            
09       made up of                                                                                                        
10                 (1)  an employee of the child protection office in the department who                                   
11       has expertise in child abuse and neglect;                                                                         
12                 (2)  a peace officer, as defined in AS 11.81.900;                                                       
13                 (3)  one or more staff members of a local child advocacy center, if a                                   
14       center is located in the relevant area;                                                                           
15                 (4)  a medical care provider licensed under AS 08 who has received                                      
16       training in child abuse assessment;                                                                               
17                 (5)  a counselor, social worker, psychologist, or physician who                                         
18       specializes in mental health care, is licensed under AS 08, and has knowledge of child                            
19       abuse dynamics;                                                                                                   
20                 (6)  a prosecutor of child abuse cases or a designee of a prosecutor of                                 
21       child abuse cases;                                                                                                
22                 (7)  a victim advocate with knowledge of child abuse dynamics;                                          
23                 (8)  other persons with expertise in child abuse and neglect invited to                                 
24       serve as needed by consensus of the team as follows:                                                              
25                      (A)  child development specialists;                                                                
26                      (B)  educators;                                                                                    
27                      (C)  victim counselors as defined in AS 18.66.250;                                                 
28                      (D)  experts in the assessment and treatment of substance abuse;                                   
29                      (E)  an attorney who specializes in child protection in the                                        
30            attorney general's office;                                                                                   
31                      (F)  a representative of an Indian tribe, as defined in 25 U.S.C.                                  

01            1903(8) (Indian Child Welfare Act), as designated by the tribe;                                              
02                      (G)  guardians ad litem; and                                                                       
03                      (H)  a representative of the division in the department with                                       
04            jurisdiction over juvenile justice.                                                                          
05    * Sec. 3. AS 47.14.300(c) is repealed and reenacted to read:                                                       
06            (c)  A team may meet, review records, and conduct business in the absence of                                 
07       one or more members of the team. When a case is referred to the team, the department                              
08       shall make available to the team records pertaining to the case prepared by or in the                             
09       possession of the department, including appropriate confidential records under                                    
10       AS 47.10.093(b). A member of the team may use or disclose records made available                                  
11       by the department under this subsection only as necessary for the performance of the                              
12       member's duties. The team may make recommendations to the department on                                           
13       appropriate planning for the case.                                                                                
14    * Sec. 4. AS 47.14.300(e) is amended to read:                                                                      
15            (e)  A team shall meet at least monthly and may meet more often as                                       
16       needed. Meetings of a team are closed to the public and are not subject to the                                
17       provisions of AS 44.62.310 - 44.62.319 (Open Meetings Act).                                                       
18    * Sec. 5. AS 47.17.010 is amended to read:                                                                         
19            Sec. 47.17.010. Purpose. To [IN ORDER TO] protect children whose health                                  
20       and well-being may be adversely affected through the infliction, by other than                                    
21       accidental means, of harm through physical injury or neglect, mental injury, sexual                               
22       abuse, sexual exploitation, or maltreatment, the legislature requires the reporting of                            
23       these cases by practitioners of the healing arts and others to the department. It is not                          
24       the intent of the legislature that persons required to report suspected child abuse or                            
25       neglect under this chapter investigate the suspected child abuse or neglect before they                           
26       make the required report to the department. Reports must be made when there is a                                  
27       reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect in order to make state investigative                           
28       and social services available in a wider range of cases at an earlier point in time, to                           
29       make sure that investigations regarding child abuse and neglect are conducted by                                  
30       trained investigators, and to avoid subjecting a child to duplicative [MULTIPLE]                              
31       interviews about the abuse or neglect. It is the intent of the legislature that, as a result                      

01       of these reports, protective services will be made available in an effort to                                      
02                 (1)  prevent further harm to the child;                                                                 
03                 (2)  safeguard and enhance the general well-being of children in this                                   
04       state; and                                                                                                        
05                 (3)  preserve family life unless that effort is likely to result in physical                            
06       or emotional damage to the child.                                                                                 
07    * Sec. 6. AS 47.17.033(c) is amended to read:                                                                      
08            (c)  An investigation by the department or another investigating agency of                               
09       child abuse or neglect reported under this chapter shall be conducted by a person                                 
10       trained to conduct a child abuse and neglect investigation and without subjecting a                               
11       child to duplicative interviews [MORE THAN ONE INTERVIEW] about the abuse                                     
12       or neglect except when new information is obtained that requires further information                              
13       from the child.