The House Family, Children and Human Affairs Committee heard SB 131, sponsored by Rep. DeVon, on Department of Child Services reporting. Author Sen. Broden testified that this bill defines “life threatening” and makes a modest change to the definition of “near fatality”, for purposes of the law concerning records relating to a child’s death or near fatality, to a severe childhood injury or condition that is certified by a physician as being life threatening. This bill also specifies that documents related to a near fatality are confidential while a police investigation is ongoing. It also urges the legislative council to assign to an interim study committee on public health, behavioral health, and human services or another appropriate interim study committee the topics of medical records confidentiality and medical records disclosure in instances of child abuse or neglect.
A representative from Department of Child Services testified in favor of the bill and that this does not apply to records held by courts, but only to records held by DCS. The bill passed 13-0.
Read the bill at https://iga.in.gov/legislative/2016/bills/senate/131