§ 371-B — Citizen review panels

§ 371-b. Citizen review panels. 1. There shall be established at least\nthree citizen review panels. At least one panel shall be established for\nthe city of New York and at least two panels shall be established for\nsocial services districts or combinations of districts outside of the\ncity of New York. The panel in the city of New York shall create one\nsubcommittee for each borough for the purposes of evaluating the extent\nto which the state and the social services district are discharging\ntheir child protection responsibilities within that particular borough,\nin accordance with subsection three of this section. The office of\nchildren and family services shall make available resources to support\nthe needs of each citizen review panel.\n 2. Each citizen review panel shall consist of thirteen members, seven\nof whom shall be appointed by the governor, three of whom shall be\nappointed by the temporary president of the senate, and three of whom\nshall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly. Each panel shall duly\nelect a chairperson of such panel. Each panel shall be composed of\nvolunteer members who are broadly representative of the community in\nwhich such panel is established, including members who have expertise in\nthe prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. No person\nemployed by federal, state, county or municipal agencies which directly\ndeliver child welfare services may be appointed to a panel.\n 3. Each citizen review panel shall, by examining the policies and\nprocedures of the state and social services districts and, where\nappropriate, specific cases, evaluate the extent to which the agencies\nare effectively discharging their child protection responsibilities in\naccordance with: (a) the state plan established pursuant to 42 U.S.C. §\n5106a(b); (b) the child protection standards set forth in 42 U.S.C. §\n5106a(b); and (c) any other criteria that the panel considers important\nto ensure the protection of children. Each panel shall meet not less\nthan once every three months. Each panel may hold public hearings on\nissues within the panel's jurisdiction.\n 4. Each citizen review panel shall have access to information on\nspecific cases in accordance with paragraph (A) of subdivision four of\nsection four hundred twenty-two of this chapter. Each panel shall also\nhave reasonable access to public and private facilities which are in\nreceipt of public funds and are providing child welfare services within\nthe panel's jurisdiction. Where necessary, the office shall assist a\npanel in obtaining access to information or facilities as authorized in\naccordance with this section. Each panel shall also have access to the\nreport prepared by the state pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 5106a(d).\n 5. Each citizen review panel shall prepare and make available to the\npublic, on an annual basis, a report containing: (a) a summary of the\nactivities of the panel; and (b) the findings and recommendations of the\npanel. Each report shall be submitted by February first and shall omit\nall confidential information used to prepare the report.\n 6. The members of each citizen review panel shall not disclose to any\nperson or government official any identifying information about any\nspecific child protection case. A member who knowingly violates this\nduty of confidentiality may be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed\none thousand dollars and removal from the panel.\n 7. The legal defense of a member of a citizen review panel shall be\ngoverned by the terms of section seventeen of the public officers law.\n