ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 132
BY REPRESENTATIVE HENRY
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department
of Health and Hospitals, jointly, to study prospective implementation of an
information system to enhance the ability of health practitioners to identify child
abuse, and to report findings of the study and recommendations to the legislative
committees on health and welfare.
WHEREAS, two agencies of this state that are charged with critical public functions
related to the health and well-being of children are the Department of Children and Family
Services, referred to hereafter as "DCFS", and the Department of Health and Hospitals,
referred to hereafter as "DHH"; and
WHEREAS, one of several areas in which the duties of the two departments intersect
is in the realm of child welfare; and
WHEREAS, DCFS carries out the state's major tasks related to child welfare through
its child welfare division, which works to protect children against abuse and neglect and to
find permanent homes for foster children; and
WHEREAS, though less direct, the involvement of DHH in the child welfare system
is still significant; and
WHEREAS, among the types of professionals who are classified by the provisions
of Title VI of the Louisiana Children's Code as "mandatory reporters", and thus are required
by law to report suspected child abuse and neglect, are health practitioners; and
WHEREAS, "health practitioner" is defined in Children's Code Article 603 as any
individual who provides health care services, including a physician, surgeon, physical
therapist, dentist, resident, intern, hospital staff member, podiatrist, chiropractor, licensed
nurse, nursing aide, dental hygienist, any emergency medical technician, a paramedic,
optometrist, medical examiner, or coroner, who diagnoses, examines, or treats a child or his
family; and
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WHEREAS, these health practitioners are licensed by regulatory boards and
commissions created within DHH, and the great majority practice their professions in
healthcare facilities that are licensed by the health standards section of DHH; and
WHEREAS, beyond the exercise of their duties as mandatory reporters, health
practitioners play other key roles in the child welfare system as they treat victims of child
abuse, provide expert testimony in abuse and neglect cases before courts of law, and advise
others concerning the health dimensions of abuse; and
WHEREAS, because health practitioners are uniquely situated in the child welfare
system, and because victims of abuse cannot be treated and cared for if the abuse is not
identified, it is important that health practitioners are empowered to the greatest extent
possible to carry out their duties as mandatory reporters of child abuse; and
WHEREAS, access to information on reports of prior abuse or neglect of a certain
child could make the difference in whether a health practitioner is able to identify an
instance of abuse of that child.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Department of Children and Family Services and the Department of
Health and Hospitals, jointly, to study prospective implementation of an information system
that would enhance the ability of health practitioners to identify child abuse.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study to be conducted by the departments
shall include an analysis of the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of operating a system
through which health practitioners may access information on whether a specific child has
been the subject of a prior report of suspected abuse or neglect.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in performing the analysis of the prospective
information system requested by this Resolution, the departments shall consider the extent
to which the system could be incorporated within existing technology infrastructure of the
state, and shall prioritize cost-minimizing options for implementing the system.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the departments, jointly, shall submit a written
report of recommendations for implementation of the system described in this Resolution,
along with any other findings and recommendations relative to enhancing the ability of
health practitioners to identify child abuse, to the House Committee on Health and Welfare
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and the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare no later than sixty days prior to the
convening of the 2016 Regular Session of the Legislature of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services and the secretary of the
Department of Health and Hospitals.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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