HF 933

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 02/16/2015 01:30pm

A bill for an act
relating to children; establishing interview requirements for children who are
subjects of maltreatment reports; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section
626.556, by adding a subdivision.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 626.556, is amended by adding a
subdivision to read:

new text begin Subd. 3g. new text end

new text begin Interviews with children. new text end

new text begin (a) Notwithstanding any provision to the
contrary, absent special circumstances, an interview with a child who is the subject of a
report shall be conducted outside the presence of the child's parents. This requirement
applies to all initial interviews with a child subject conducted by the local welfare agency,
agency responsible for investigating or assessing the report, or law enforcement and
applies to family assessment and family investigation cases.
new text end

new text begin (b) If there are special circumstances, the person responsible for conducting the
interview must document in writing the special circumstances that prohibit an interview of
the child outside the presence of the child's parents. This documentation must be included
in the child's case file and must be reviewed by a quality assurance review.
new text end