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An Act To Grant the Department of Health and Human Services Access to Criminal History Information To Achieve the Purposes of the Child and Family Services and Child Protection Act
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4004, sub-§1, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 586, §3, is further amended to read:
 
E. Establishing a child death and serious injury review panel for reviewing deaths and serious injuries to children. The panel consists of the following members: the Chief Medical Examiner, a pediatrician, a public health nurse, forensic and community mental health clinicians, law enforcement officers, departmental child welfare staff, district attorneys and criminal or civil assistant attorneys general.
 
The purpose of the panel is to recommend to state and local agencies methods of improving the child protection system, including modifications of statutes, rules, policies and procedures; and
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA §4004, sub-§1, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 586, §4, is amended to read:
 
F. Investigating suspicious child deaths. An investigation under this paragraph is subject to and may not interfere with the authority and responsibility of the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute homicides pursuant to Title 5, section 200-A.; and
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §4004, sub-§1, ¶G  is enacted to read:
 
G.  Requesting and receiving confidential criminal history record information, as defined by Title 16, section 703, subsection 2, and public criminal history record information, as defined by Title 16, section 703, subsection 8.
 
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to access public and confidential criminal history record information to assist in preventing child abuse and neglect.