HLS 15RS-1428 ORIGINAL
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 132
BY REPRESENTATIVE HENRY
CHILDREN/ABUSE: Requests a study on prospective implementation of a system to help
health practitioners identify child abuse
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department
3 of Health and Hospitals, jointly, to study prospective implementation of an
4 information system to enhance the ability of health practitioners to identify child
5 abuse, and to report findings of the study and recommendations to the legislative
6 committees on health and welfare.
7 WHEREAS, two agencies of this state that are charged with critical public functions
8related to the health and well-being of children are the Department of Children and Family
9Services, referred to hereafter as "DCFS", and the Department of Health and Hospitals,
10referred to hereafter as "DHH"; and
11 WHEREAS, one of several areas in which the duties of the two departments intersect
12is in the realm of child welfare; and
13 WHEREAS, DCFS carries out the state's major tasks related to child welfare through
14its child welfare division, which works to protect children against abuse and neglect and to
15find permanent homes for foster children; and
16 WHEREAS, though less direct, the involvement of DHH in the child welfare system
17is still significant; and
18 WHEREAS, among the types of professionals who are classified by the provisions
19of Title VI of the Louisiana Children's Code as "mandatory reporters", and thus are required
20by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect, are health practitioners; and
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1 WHEREAS, "health practitioner" is defined in Children's Code Article 603 as any
2individual who provides health care services, including a physician, surgeon, physical
3therapist, dentist, resident, intern, hospital staff member, podiatrist, chiropractor, licensed
4nurse, nursing aide, dental hygienist, any emergency medical technician, a paramedic,
5optometrist, medical examiner, or coroner, who diagnoses, examines, or treats a child or his
6family; and
7 WHEREAS, these health practitioners are licensed by regulatory boards and
8commissions created within DHH, and the great majority practice their professions in
9healthcare facilities that are licensed by the health standards section of DHH; and
10 WHEREAS, beyond the exercise of their duties as mandatory reporters, health
11practitioners play other key roles in the child welfare system as they treat victims of child
12abuse, provide expert testimony in abuse and neglect cases before courts of law, and advise
13others concerning the health dimensions of abuse; and
14 WHEREAS, because health practitioners are uniquely situated in the child welfare
15system, and because victims of abuse cannot be treated and cared for if the abuse is not
16identified, it is important that health practitioners are empowered to the greatest extent
17possible to carry out their duties as mandatory reporters of child abuse; and
18 WHEREAS, access to information on reports of prior abuse or neglect of a certain
19child could make the difference in whether a health practitioner is able to identify an
20instance of abuse of that child.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
22urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of
23Health and Hospitals, jointly, to study prospective implementation of an information system
24that would enhance the ability of health practitioners to identify child abuse.
25 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study to be conducted by the departments
26shall include an analysis of the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of operating a system
27through which health practitioners may access information on whether a specific child has
28been the subject of a prior report of suspected abuse or neglect.
29 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in performing the analysis of the prospective
30information system requested by this Resolution, the departments shall consider the extent
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HCR NO. 132
1to which the system could be incorporated within existing technology infrastructure of the
2state, and shall prioritize cost-minimizing options for implementing the system.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the departments, jointly, shall submit a written
4report of recommendations for implementation of the system described in this Resolution,
5along with any other findings and recommendations relative to enhancing the ability of
6health practitioners to identify child abuse, to the House Committee on Health and Welfare
7and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare no later than sixty days prior to the
8convening of the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
9 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
10secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services and the secretary of the
11Department of Health and Hospitals.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HCR 132 Original 2015 Regular Session Henry
Urges and requests the Dept. of Children and Family Services and the Dept. of Health and
Hospitals, jointly, to study prospective implementation of an information system to enhance
the ability of health practitioners to identify child abuse.
Requests that in conducting the study, the departments consider the extent to which the
system could be incorporated within existing technology infrastructure of the state.
Requests that the departments report findings of the study and recommendations to the
legislative committees on health and welfare no later than 60 days prior to the convening of
the 2016 RS.
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