Child abuse reporting.

Existing law, until January 1, 2014, authorizes counties to establish a child abuse multidisciplinary personnel team, as defined, to allow provider agencies to share confidential information in order to investigate reports of suspected child abuse or neglect or for the purpose of child welfare agencies making detention determinations, as specified. Existing law authorizes members of the team, for 30 days, or longer if good cause exists, following a report of suspected child abuse or neglect, to disclose to and exchange with one another information and writings related to any incident of child abuse that are designated as confidential if the member of the team reasonably believes it is relevant to the prevention, identification, or treatment of child abuse. Existing law authorizes the disclosure and exchange of this information to occur telephonically and electronically if there is adequate verification of the identity of the multidisciplinary personnel who are involved in that disclosure or exchange of information. Existing law requires that the sharing of information permitted in the period following a report of suspected child abuse or neglect be governed by protocols developed in each county describing how and what information may be shared to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed in violation of state or federal law. This bill would delete the repeal of these provisions, thereby making them operate indefinitely.