2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 26 - Human Services Code
Article 5 - Child Welfare Services
§ 26-5-111. Statewide child abuse reporting hotline system - legislative declaration - definitions - child abuse hotline steering committee - rules on consistent processes in response to reports and inquiries for information

(1) (a) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that the purpose of enacting this section is to:

(I) Create, based on recommendations of a steering committee with broad representation, a statewide child abuse reporting hotline system to serve as a direct, immediate, and efficient route to the applicable entity responsible for accepting the report and to the applicable entity responsible for responding to an inquiry and that is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week; and

(II) Authorize rule-making by the state board to ensure that there are standards for the consistent screening, assessment, and decision-making in response to reports of known or suspected child abuse and neglect and to inquiries made to a county department or to the hotline system.

(b) The general assembly declares that the hotline system to be developed as outlined in this section enhances the current child welfare system. The hotline system is intended to provide an additional option for the public to make an initial report of suspected or known child abuse or neglect or making an inquiry. The county department will retain screening responsibilities, unless the board of county commissioners of the county department has approved the use of the hotline system on behalf of the county and such arrangement has been approved by the executive director.

(2) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) "Child abuse reporting hotline system" or "the hotline system" means the uniform method of contact that directly, immediately, and efficiently routes the person to the applicable entity responsible for accepting a report pursuant to section 19-3-307, C.R.S., or to the applicable entity responsible for responding to an inquiry and that is advertised to the public as a place for reporting known or suspected child abuse or neglect or for making inquiries.

(b) "Information and referral" means an initial contact from the public which does not constitute a report of abuse or neglect but is an inquiry and the response to the inquiry, as defined in rule.

(c) "Inquiry" means a request for information or for specific services.

(d) "Mandatory reporter" means a person who is required to report child abuse or neglect pursuant to section 19-3-304, C.R.S.

(e) "Report" means an initial report of known or suspected child abuse or neglect.

(3) (a) The state department shall develop a child abuse hotline steering committee, including state, county, and comprehensive and appropriate stakeholder representation. The state department shall appoint a person to the steering committee who is a primary provider of emergency fire fighting services, law enforcement, ambulance, emergency medical, or other emergency services and who is familiar with the emergency telephone system that uses the single three-digit number 9-1-1 for reporting police, fire, medical, or other emergency situations. The steering committee is expected to develop an implementation plan for a statewide child abuse reporting hotline system, which is advertised to the public and to mandatory reporters, and to make recommendations for rules relating to the operation of the hotline system and relating to consistent practices for responding to reports and inquiries. The purpose of the hotline system is to provide a direct, immediate, and efficient route to the entity responsible for accepting a report pursuant to section 19-3-307, C.R.S. The public may also contact the hotline system for inquiries. The hotline system must operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The hotline may consist of multiple methods of communication, as prescribed by rules of the state board. The steering committee shall submit a report no later than July 1, 2014, containing its recommendations to the executive director, who shall provide the report to the state board. The hotline system shall be operational and publicized statewide no later than January 1, 2015.

(b) With the express written consent of the board of county commissioners of a county, a county department may request that the state department assist that county with the taking of calls or initial contacts from the public of reports of possible child abuse or neglect or of inquiries. The executive director of the state department must approve this arrangement in writing.

(c) Based upon the recommendations of the child abuse hotline steering committee, the state department shall establish a statewide child abuse reporting hotline system.

(4) The state board is authorized to adopt rules, based upon the recommendations of the child abuse hotline steering committee, and may revise rules, as necessary, including but not limited to the following:

(a) The type of technology that may be used by the hotline system for directly routing initial contacts from the hotline system to the applicable entity responsible for accepting reports pursuant to section 19-3-307, C.R.S., or to the applicable entity to respond to an inquiry, including but not limited to a single statewide toll-free telephone number, and including technologies for language translation and for communicating with people who are deaf or have hearing impairments, such as telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD) or text telephone services (TTY), with flexibility to adapt the methods to changing and emerging technologies as appropriate;

(b) The operation of the hotline system, including the central record keeping and tracking of reports and inquiries statewide, and a requirement that the record keeping and tracking of reports and inquiries be accessible to all counties through the state's case management system;

(c) Rules governing the standards and steps for information and referral and how an inquiry is routed to the applicable entity responsible for responding to an inquiry;

(d) How an initial report to the hotline system is directly routed to the applicable entity responsible for accepting a report pursuant to section 19-3-307, C.R.S.;

(e) A formal process for a county department to opt to have the state department receive reports or inquiries on behalf of the county department after hours subject to a requirement that the board of county commissioners must officially approve the use of the hotline system on behalf of the county and such arrangement must be approved by the executive director;

(f) A process for a county department to opt to have another county department receive reports or inquiries on behalf of the county department after hours or on a short-term basis with notification of such arrangement to the executive director;

(g) Standardized training and certification standards for all staff prior to taking reports and inquiries;

(h) A consistent screening process with criteria and steps for the county department to follow in responding to a report or inquiry; and

(i) Rules establishing a consistent decision-making process with criteria and steps for the county department to follow when deciding how to act on a report or inquiry or when to take no action on a report or inquiry.

(5) The state department shall submit periodic reports to the appropriate legislative committee pursuant to the requirements of part 2 of article 7 of title 2, C.R.S., pertaining to the implementation or operation of the hotline system, the progress of implementing the hotline system, the outcomes from the operation of the hotline system, and the outcomes from the adoption of rules and practices for consistent screening, assessment, and decision-making for reports of known or suspected child abuse and neglect and for inquiries.