3/29/01...0417s

2001 SESSION

01-0980

05/09

SENATE BILL 136

COMMITTEE: Judiciary

AMENDED ANALYSIS

This bill establishes a committee to study the use of multi-disciplinary team investigations of child abuse and neglect allegations.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

3/29/01 0417s

01-0980

05/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand One

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

66:1 Committee Established. There is established a committee to study the use of multi-disciplinary teams to investigate child abuse and neglect allegations.

66:2 Membership and Compensation.

I. The members of the committee shall be as follows:

(a) Three members of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.

(b) Three members of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house.

II. Members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the committee.

66:3 Duties. The committee shall study the feasibility of establishing multi-disciplinary teams in each county to investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect. The committee shall:

I. Study the statutory structure and funding mechanism of the multi-disciplinary team approach currently implemented in Oregon and assess its applicability to New Hampshire.

II. Review information from the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse or other information clearinghouses relative to multi-disciplinary team investigations of child abuse.

III. Study the abuse and neglect investigation process in New Hampshire and consider how it could be restructured to emphasize a multi-disciplinary approach.

IV. Solicit information regarding the current abuse and neglect investigation process as well as the feasibility of creating a multi-disciplinary model from the following individuals and organizations:

(a) A police chief and other law enforcement officers involved in abuse and neglect investigations.

(b) A county attorney with experience prosecuting abuse and neglect cases.

(c) A school principal.

(d) A community mental health professional with expertise in treating children who have been victims of abuse.

(e) The director of the bureau for children, department of health and human services, or designee.

(f) Members of the Kids Cabinet.

66:4 Chairperson; Quorum. The members of the study committee shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the committee shall be called by the first-named senate member. The first meeting of the committee shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Three members of the committee shall constitute a quorum.

66:5 Report. The committee shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the senate president, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2001.

66:6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

(Approved: June 12, 2001)

(Effective Date: June 12, 2001)