HB79 Alabama 2019 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Rex ReynoldsRepresentative

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2019

Title

Children, to expand and clarify requirements for membership of child advocacy centers in the Alabama Network of Children's Advocacy Centers, Sec. 26-16-70 am'd.

Summary

HB 79 expands and clarifies the requirements for full membership in Alabama's Network of Children's Advocacy Centers.

What This Bill Does

It adds formal definitions and sets detailed qualifications for centers to become full members, including nonprofit incorporation and a neutral facility where joint forensic interviews by DHR and law enforcement occur. It requires a staff structure overseen by a local board, a regularly scheduled multidisciplinary case review team with specified participants, and case tracking with demographic data and referrals for medical exams and mental health therapy, plus follow-up. It also mandates staff and volunteer training, an interagency commitment agreement among key agencies, and sets the act’s effective date (contingent on related legislation).

Who It Affects

• Child advocacy centers in Alabama seeking to become full members of the Alabama Network of Children's Advocacy Centers; they must meet nonprofit, facility, staffing, and multidisciplinary requirements.
• Local district attorneys, the Department of Human Resources, local mental health professionals, local law enforcement agencies, and center staff; they must participate in multidisciplinary teams, contribute to case reviews, sign interagency agreements, and coordinate with the centers.
• Center staff and volunteers; they must receive appropriate training and screening.

Key Provisions

• Defines key terms: forensic interview; local law enforcement agencies; mental health professional.
• Centers must be private nonprofit corporations and incorporate under applicable Alabama nonprofit laws.
• Centers must use a neutral, child-focused facility where joint DHR and law enforcement forensic interviews take place for suspected abuse cases.
• Centers must have minimum staff supervised by the center's local board of directors.
• Centers must maintain a multidisciplinary case review team with specified members (district attorney or designee, DHR, local mental health professionals, law enforcement, and CAC staff; medical personnel and a victim's advocate may be included).
• Centers must provide case tracking and collect demographic data (sex, race, age, etc.) and track referrals for prosecution and mental health therapy.
• Centers must provide or refer for on-site or off-site medical exams and mental health therapy, with follow-up.
• Centers must provide training for multidisciplinary team members and participate in an interagency commitment agreement signed by the district attorney, DHR designee, law enforcement designee, and CAC director.
• Centers and their staff/volunteers must be trained and screened according to specified standards.
• The act becomes effective on the first day of the third month after passage and is contingent upon the passage of HB____ relating to statements made by children during forensic interviews.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Children