New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:35-a – Records Management of Abuse and Neglect Reports
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I. The department shall retain a screened-out report for 4 years from the date that the report was screened out. If during the 4-year retention period, the department receives a subsequent report of abuse or neglect concerning the same alleged perpetrator or the same child or any siblings or other children in the same household or in the care of the same adults, the department shall retain information from the prior and subsequent reports for an additional 4 years from the date a subsequent report is screened out, an additional 10 years from the date a subsequent report is deemed unfounded, and indefinitely if the subsequent report is deemed founded or unfounded but with reasonable concern. The department shall delete or destroy all electronic and paper records of the reports when the retention period for the most recent report expires.
II. The department shall retain an unfounded report for 10 years from the date that the department determined the case to be unfounded. If during the 10-year retention period, the department receives a subsequent report of abuse or neglect concerning the same alleged perpetrator or the same child or any siblings or other children in the same household or in the care of the same adults, the department shall retain the information from the prior and subsequent reports for an additional 10 years from the date the subsequent report is screened out or deemed unfounded, or indefinitely if the subsequent report is deemed founded or unfounded but with reasonable concern. The department shall delete or destroy all electronic and paper records of the reports when the most recent report expires.
III. The department shall retain a founded report, or a report that is unfounded but with reasonable concern, indefinitely.
IV. Nothing in this section shall prevent the department from retaining generic, non-identifying information which is required for state and federal reporting and management purposes.
II. The department shall retain an unfounded report for 10 years from the date that the department determined the case to be unfounded. If during the 10-year retention period, the department receives a subsequent report of abuse or neglect concerning the same alleged perpetrator or the same child or any siblings or other children in the same household or in the care of the same adults, the department shall retain the information from the prior and subsequent reports for an additional 10 years from the date the subsequent report is screened out or deemed unfounded, or indefinitely if the subsequent report is deemed founded or unfounded but with reasonable concern. The department shall delete or destroy all electronic and paper records of the reports when the most recent report expires.
Terms Used In New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:35-a
- Child: means any person who has not reached his eighteenth birthday. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- children: means any individual who is under the age of 18 years. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- Department: means the department of health and human services. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- Founded report: means a report made pursuant to this chapter for which the department finds by a preponderance of the evidence that the child who is the subject of such report is abused or neglected. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- Screened-out report: means a report made pursuant to this chapter that the department has determined does not rise to the level of a credible report of abuse or neglect and is not referred for assessment. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- state: when applied to different parts of the United States, may extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall include said district and territories. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 21:4
- unfounded but with reasonable concern: means a report made pursuant to this chapter for which the department determines that there is probable cause to believe the child was abused or neglected, but for which there is insufficient evidence to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the child was abused or neglected. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
- Unfounded report: means a report made pursuant to this chapter for which the department determines that there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a finding that the child is abused or neglected. See New Hampshire Revised Statutes 169-C:3
III. The department shall retain a founded report, or a report that is unfounded but with reasonable concern, indefinitely.
IV. Nothing in this section shall prevent the department from retaining generic, non-identifying information which is required for state and federal reporting and management purposes.