HF 1106

1st Engrossment - 88th Legislature (2013 - 2014) Posted on 03/20/2014 03:17pm

A bill for an act
relating to human services; requiring counties to maintain certain information
regarding certain reports alleging child maltreatment; amending Minnesota
Statutes 2012, section 626.556, subdivision 11c.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2012, section 626.556, subdivision 11c, is amended to
read:

Subd. 11c.

Welfare, court services agency, and school records maintained.

Notwithstanding sections 138.163 and 138.17, records maintained or records derived
from reports of abuse by local welfare agencies, agencies responsible for assessing or
investigating the report, court services agencies, or schools under this section shall be
destroyed as provided in paragraphs (a) to (d) by the responsible authority.

(a) For family assessment cases and cases where an investigation results in no
determination of maltreatment or the need for child protective services, the assessment or
investigation records must be maintained for a period of four years. Records under this
paragraph may not be used for employment, background checks, or purposes other than to
assist in future risk and safety assessments.

(b) All records relating to reports which, upon investigation, indicate either
maltreatment or a need for child protective services shall be maintained for at least ten
years after the date of the final entry in the case record.

(c) All records regarding a report of maltreatment, including any notification of intent
to interview which was received by a school under subdivision 10, paragraph (d), shall be
destroyed by the school when ordered to do so by the agency conducting the assessment or
investigation. The agency shall order the destruction of the notification when other records
relating to the report under investigation or assessment are destroyed under this subdivision.

(d) Private or confidential data released to a court services agency under subdivision
10h must be destroyed by the court services agency when ordered to do so by the local
welfare agency that released the data. The local welfare agency or agency responsible for
assessing or investigating the report shall order destruction of the data when other records
relating to the assessment or investigation are destroyed under this subdivision.

new text begin (e) For reports alleging child maltreatment that were not accepted for assessment
or investigation, counties shall maintain sufficient information to identify repeat reports
alleging maltreatment of the same child or children for 365 days from the date the report
was screened out. The Department of Human Services shall specify to the counties the
minimum information needed to accomplish this purpose. Counties shall enter this data
into the state social services information system.
new text end