| Chapter 070 |
| 2019 -- S 0483 Enacted 06/28/2019 |
| A N A C T |
| RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - CHILD ADVOCATE OFFICE |
| Introduced By: Senators Coyne, Conley, Lynch Prata, Lombardi, and Archambault |
| Date Introduced: February 27, 2019 |
| It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: |
| SECTION 1. Section 42-73-2.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-73 entitled "Child |
| Advocate Office" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
| 42-73-2.3. Child fatality reviews. |
| (a) The department of children, youth and families shall notify the office of the child |
| advocate verbally and electronically within forty-eight (48) hours of a confirmed fatality or near |
| fatality of a child who is the subject of a DCYF case and shall provide the office of the child |
| advocate with access to any written material about the case. |
| (b) The child advocate, working with a voluntary and confidential child-fatality-review |
| panel, whose members may vary on a case-by-case basis, shall review the case records of all |
| notifications in accordance with § 42-73-2.3(a) subsection (a) of fatalities and near fatalities of |
| children under twenty-one (21) years of age, if: |
| (1) The fatality or near fatality occurs while in the custody of, or involved with, the |
| department, or if the child's family previously received services from the department; |
| (2) The fatality or near fatality is alleged to be from abuse or neglect of the child and the |
| child or child's family had prior contact with the department; or |
| (3) A sibling, household member, or day care provider has been the subject of a child |
| abuse and neglect investigation within the previous twelve (12) months, including, without |
| limitation, cases in which the report was unsubstantiated or the investigation is currently pending. |
| (c) The child-fatality-review panel shall assess and analyze such cases; make |
| recommendations regarding such cases; and make recommendations for improvements to laws, |
| policies, and practices that support the safety of children. Each report shall be made public within |
| thirty (30) days of its completion. |
| (d) The members of the child-fatality-review panel, established in accordance with this |
| section, shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of § 42-73-10. |
| (e) The child advocate shall publicly announce the convening of a child-fatality-review |
| panel, including the age of the child involved. |
| SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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| LC001840 |
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