SB 400 — Adult Protection Multidisciplinary Teams.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 S 21 SENATE BILL 400 Judiciary Committee Substitute Adopted 4/30/25 Short Title:

Senators Galey and Daniel (Primary Sponsors).

Rules and Operations of the Senate March 25, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT CONCERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LOCAL ADULT PROTECTION MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS.

(a) The General Assembly finds that it is the public policy of this State to prevent the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled adults and older adults.

The General Assembly further finds that professionals from disparate disciplines have expertise that can promote the safety and well-being of disabled adults and older adults and prevent re-victimization and that multidisciplinary reviews of selected cases can lead to a greater understanding of the causes of the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of disabled adults and older adults.

(b) Thepurposeofthis Article is to authorizelocal adult protectionmultidisciplinarycase review teams to share information pertaining to selected cases in which disabled adults and older adults are being served by adult protective services and to coordinate multiagency solutions for adult victims of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

– An adult protection multidisciplinary team that reviews selected active cases in which disabled adults andare olderbeing adultsserved areby beingservedadult byadultprotective protectiveservicesservices through a local department of social services.

*S400-v-2* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 a.

*S400-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 b.

(3) A local law enforcement officer, appointed by the board of county commissionerscommissioners. after consultation with the district attorney's office and the local department of social services.

– The chair of the Case Review Multidisciplinary Team may appoint a maximum of five additional members representing local agencies or the community at large to serve on any Case Review Multidisciplinary Team, including, but not Page 2 Senate Bill 400-Second Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 limited to, representatives from financial institutions, local hospitals, and nonprofit organizations.

Page 2 Senate Bill 400-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (f) Chair.

108A-118.4, selected active cases in which disabled adults or older adults are being served by adult protective services through the local department of social services.

(2) To submit annually to the board of county commissioners recommendations, if any, for addressing systemic problems and service gaps that may exist in the delivery of services to disabled adults and older adults by public and nonpublic agencies.

(3) To bring for review active cases selected by the director of the local department of social services or requested by a member of the Case Review MultidisciplinaryTeaminwhichadisabledadultorolderadultisMultidisciplinary beingservedTeam in which a disabled adult is being served by adult protective services.

Senate Bill 400-Second Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (b) For a multicounty Case Review Multidisciplinary Team, the director of each local department of social services represented in the multicounty team has the powers and duties enumerated in subsection (a) of this section.

Senate Bill 400-First Edition Page 3 General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 The Department of Health and Human Services shall develop and make available for the members of each Case Review Multidisciplinary Team, on an ongoing basis, training materials that address all of the following:

(1) Performing reviews of selected active cases in which disabled adults or older adults are being served by adult protective services through local departments of social services.

(2) Providing, arranging, or coordinating services on behalf of disabled adults or older adults whose cases have been or are currently under review by the Case Review Multidisciplinary Team.

(b) The local director of social services shall not share any information that discloses the identity of individuals who have reported suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of a disabled adultorolderadulttothelocaldepartmentofsocialservices,exceptasadult allowedbyStateorfederalto the local department of social services, except as allowed by State or federal law.

(d) The authority of a Case Review Multidisciplinary Team to disclose information pursuant to this section terminates when a case is no longer an active case in which a disabled adult or older adult is being served by adult protective services through a local department of social services, including if the inactive status of the case is due to the disabled adult's or older adult's failure to give consent to receive protective services or due to the disabled adult's or older adult's withdrawal of consent to receive protective services.

providedthatsuchrecommendations shall notidentify Page 4 Senate Bill 400-Second Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 or reveal any confidential information about individual adult protective services cases reviewed by the Case Review Multidisciplinary Team.

provided that such reports shall not identifyor reveal Page 4 Senate Bill 400-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 any confidential information about individual adult protective services cases reviewed by the Case Review Multidisciplinary Team.

(3) By a member of the Case Review Multidisciplinary Team to the member's agency or organization as needed to provide or arrange services for a disabled adult or older adult.

(d) The local department of social services shall make an entry in the disabled adult's or older adult's protective services record at the time it is selected for review bybya a Case Review Multidisciplinary Team to indicate that it was selected for review.

(e) Nothing in this Article shall be construed to prohibit a Case Review Multidisciplinary Team from sharing or accessing confidential information and records as permitted or required by applicable State or federal law, including any law that permits the disclosure of confidential information pursuant to the informed consent of a disabled adult or older adult or the authorized representative of a disabled adult or older adult.

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