HB 274 — Child Abuse & Neglect/Military Affiliation.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2019 H 12 HOUSE BILL 274 Committee Substitute Favorable 4/30/19 Short Title:

Representatives Grange, Potts, and White (Primary Sponsors).

For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.

Homeland Security, Military, and Veterans Affairs, if favorable, Judiciary, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House March 6, 2019 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT AUTHORIZING A LOCAL DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO DETERMINE IF A JUVENILE WHO IS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN ABUSED, NEGLECTED, OR DEPENDENTHAS AN ASSOCIATIONWITH THEMILITARY ANDTOSHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH THE APPROPRIATE MILITARY AUTHORITIES, WHEN APPLICABLE.

*H274-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 (1) The department shall disclose confidential information to any federal, State, orlocal government entityorits agent, oranyprivatechildplacingoradoption *H274-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2019 agencylicensed bythe Department of Health and Human Services, in order to protect a juvenile from abuse or neglect.

The disclosure of confidential information pursuant to this subdivision shall include sharing information withtheappropriatemilitaryauthorityifthedepartmentdeterminestheparent,with the appropriate military authority if the director finds evidence that a juvenile may have been abused or neglected and the parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker of the juvenile alleged to have been abused or neglected has a military affiliation.

Any confidential information disclosed to anyanyfederal, federal, State, or local government entityentityor or its agent under this subsection shall remain confidential with the other entityorentity or its agent and shall only be redisclosed for purposes directly connected with carrying out that entity's mandated responsibilities.

7B-101, the director shall make an immediate oral and subsequent written report of the findings to the district attorney or the district attorney's designee and the appropriate local law enforcement agency agency, including notifying the appropriate military authority that there is anevidence allegation of abuse or neglect relatingof toa thejuvenile by a parent, guardian, custodian, or caretaker with thethat military affiliation, within 48 hours after receipt of the report.

Upon completion of the investigation, the district attorneyshall determine whether criminal prosecution is appropriateand mayrequestmay request thedirector or the director's designee to appear before a magistrate.

The local law enforcement agencyshall immediately, but nolater than48hoursafterthan48 hoursafter receipt ofthe information, initiate a criminal investigation.

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