General Assembly Committee Bill No. 763
January Session, 2013 LCO No. 4299
*04299SB00763HS_*
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 763
January Session, 2013
LCO No. 4299
*04299SB00763HS_*
Referred to Committee on HUMAN SERVICES
Introduced by:
(HS)
AN ACT CONCERNING NOTICE OF INVESTIGATIONS BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-103b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2013):
(a) Upon the opening of an investigation concerning the alleged abuse or neglect of a child, the Department of Children and Families shall give, when deemed to be in the best interests of the child, notice to the noncustodial parent, custodial parent, guardian of the child and parents if the Department of Children and Families has custody of a child, unless there are reasonable grounds to believe such notice may interfere with a criminal investigation or endanger a person. Such notice shall include (1) the allegation in the complaint, (2) the availability of services from the department, including, but not limited to, child care subsidies and emergency shelter, and (3) the programs of the Office of Victim Services and information on obtaining a restraining order. The notice shall also inform the recipient that such child may be removed from the custody of the custodial parent by the department if such removal is authorized under the general statutes. The department shall employ all reasonable efforts to provide such notice verbally not later than two business days after the opening of such investigation or in writing not later than five business days after the opening of such investigation.
[(a)] (b) Upon a substantiated complaint of abuse of a child having a single custodial parent or a guardian, the Department of Children and Families shall give, when deemed to be in the best interests of the child, to the noncustodial parent, custodial parent, guardian of the child, and parents if the Department of Children and Families has custody of a child, notice of (1) the circumstances of the complaint, including the name of the person who caused the abuse, (2) the availability of services from the department, including, but not limited to, child care subsidies and emergency shelter, and (3) the programs of the Office of Victim Services and information on obtaining a restraining order. The notice shall also inform the recipient that such child may be removed from the custody of the custodial parent by the department if such removal is authorized under the general statutes. The department shall employ all reasonable efforts to provide the notice within ten days of substantiation of a complaint.
[(b)] (c) The written notice required under [subsection (a)] subsections (a) and (b) of this section shall be in English or the principal language of the recipient, if known, and be delivered (1) by certified mail, return receipt requested, directed to the last-known address of each recipient, or (2) by an agent of the department. In the case of personal delivery by an agent, written acknowledgment of such delivery shall be made by the recipient.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2013 17a-103b
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
July 1, 2013
17a-103b
Statement of Purpose:
To provide notice, when deemed to be in the best interests of a child, to the child's guardian, custodial parent and noncustodial parent of any investigation the Department of Children and Families opens regarding the child.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: SEN. MUSTO, 22nd Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
SEN. MUSTO, 22nd Dist.
S.B. 763