Senate File 357 - Introduced SENATE FILE 357 BY BLACK A BILL FOR An Act relating to public access to founded dependent adult 1 abuse information. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 2261XS (2) 84 rh/nh
S.F. 357 Section 1. Section 235B.5, Code 2011, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 3A. The department shall provide dependent 3 adult abuse information for all cases of founded dependent 4 adult abuse in an electronic format on the department’s 5 internet website for public access, provided identifying 6 details of a subject of a founded dependent adult abuse report 7 issued by the department are deleted pursuant to section 8 235B.13. 9 Sec. 2. Section 235B.6, Code 2011, is amended by striking 10 the section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: 11 235B.6 Authorized access. 12 1. Founded dependent adult abuse information including 13 dependent adult abuse reports for all cases of founded 14 dependent adult abuse shall be public records, provided any 15 identifying details of the subjects of such information are 16 deleted prior to public access. 17 2. Access to unfounded dependent adult abuse information is 18 authorized only to the following persons: 19 a. A subject of a report including all of the following: 20 (1) To an adult named in a report as a victim of abuse or to 21 the adult’s attorney or guardian ad litem. 22 (2) To a guardian or legal custodian, or that person’s 23 attorney, of an adult named in a report as a victim of abuse. 24 (3) To the person or the attorney for the person named in a 25 report as having abused an adult. 26 b. A person involved in an investigation of dependent adult 27 abuse including all of the following: 28 (1) An employee or agent of the department responsible for 29 the investigation of a dependent adult abuse report or for the 30 purpose of performing record checks as required under section 31 135C.33. 32 (2) A multidisciplinary team, if the department of human 33 services approves the composition of the multidisciplinary team 34 and determines that access to the team is necessary to assist 35 -1- LSB 2261XS (2) 84 rh/nh 1/ 2
S.F. 357 the department in the investigation, diagnosis, assessment, and 1 disposition of a case of dependent adult abuse. 2 (3) The mandatory reporter who reported the dependent adult 3 abuse in an individual case. 4 c. Other persons including all of the following: 5 (1) Registry or department personnel when necessary to the 6 performance of their official duties or a person or agency 7 under contract with the department to carry out official duties 8 and functions of the registry. 9 (2) The state or a local long-term care resident’s 10 advocate if the victim resides in a long-term care facility 11 or the alleged perpetrator is an employee of a long-term care 12 facility. 13 EXPLANATION 14 This bill requires the department of human services to 15 provide dependent adult abuse information for all cases of 16 founded dependent adult abuse in an electronic format on the 17 department’s internet website for public access, provided 18 identifying details of a subject of a founded dependent adult 19 abuse report issued by the department are deleted. 20 Current law provides all dependent adult abuse information 21 including information relating to founded and unfounded cases 22 of dependent adult abuse, shall be confidential, except as 23 specifically provided. Access to both founded and unfounded 24 dependent adult abuse information is specifically authorized 25 only to certain persons under Code chapter 235B. 26 The bill also applies to founded cases of dependent adult 27 abuse that occur in certain hospital and health care facilities 28 and certain elder group homes, assisted living programs, and 29 adult day service programs pursuant to Code chapter 235E (Code 30 section 235E.4). 31 -2- LSB 2261XS (2) 84 rh/nh 2/ 2