This bill amends the current law regarding the retention period for records of unfounded abuse and neglect reports maintained by the Department of Health and Human Services. Specifically, it reduces the retention period from 10 years to 3 years. The new legal language specifies that the department shall retain an unfounded report for 3 years from the date the case is determined to be unfounded, and if a subsequent report concerning the same alleged perpetrator or child is received during this period, the retention period for all related reports will be extended for an additional 3 years from the date the subsequent report is screened out or deemed unfounded.

Additionally, the bill outlines that if a subsequent report is deemed founded or unfounded but with reasonable concern, the records will be retained indefinitely. The bill also clarifies that the department must delete or destroy all electronic and paper records once the retention period for the most recent report expires. The effective date of this act is set for 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 169-C:35-a