10850.4. (Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 478, Sec. 62.)

(a) Within five business days of learning that a child fatality has occurred in the county and that there is a reasonable suspicion that the fatality was caused by abuse or neglect, the custodian of records for the county child welfare agency, upon request, shall release the following information:

(1) The age and gender of the child.

(2) The date of death.

(3) Whether the child resided in foster care or in the home of the child’s parent or guardian at the time of death.

(4) Whether an investigation is being conducted by a law enforcement agency or the county child welfare agency.

(b) All cases in which abuse or neglect, as defined by paragraph (1) of subdivision (k), leads to a child’s death shall be subject to the disclosures required in subdivision (c). Abuse or neglect is determined to have led to a child’s death if one or more of the following conditions are met:

(1) A county child protective services agency determines that the abuse or neglect was substantiated.

(2) A law enforcement investigation concludes that abuse or neglect occurred.

(3) A coroner or medical examiner concludes that the child who died had suffered abuse or neglect.

(c) Upon completion of the child abuse or neglect investigation into the child’s death, as described in subdivision (b), the following documents from the juvenile case file shall be released by the custodian of records upon request, subject to the redactions set forth in subdivision (e):

(1) All of the information in subdivision (a).

(2) For cases in which the child’s death occurred while living with a parent or guardian, all previous referrals of abuse or neglect of the deceased child while living with that parent or guardian shall be disclosed along with the following documents:

(A) The emergency response referral information form and the emergency response notice of referral disposition form completed by the county child welfare agency relating to the abuse or neglect that caused the death of the child.

(B) Any cross reports completed by the county child welfare agency to law enforcement relating to the deceased child.

(C) All risk and safety assessments completed by the county child welfare services agency relating to the deceased child.

(D) All health care records of the deceased child, excluding mental health records, related to the child’s death and previous injuries reflective of a pattern of abuse or neglect.

(E) Copies of police reports about the person against whom the child abuse or neglect was substantiated.

(F) A description of child protective or other services provided and actions taken by the child welfare agency, and juvenile court if applicable, relating to the deceased child, addressing any services and actions that are not otherwise disclosed within other documents required for release pursuant to this section, including the date and a written description of any such service or action taken.

(3) For cases in which the child’s death occurred while the child was in foster care, the following documents in addition to those specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) generated while the child was living in the foster care placement that was the placement at the time of the child’s death:

(A) Records pertaining to the foster placement’s initial licensing and renewals and type of license or licenses held, if in the case file.

(B) All reported licensing violations, including notices of action, if in the case file.

(C) Records of the training completed by the foster parents, if in the case file.

(d) (1) The documents and information listed in paragraph (1) of, and subparagraphs (A) to (E), inclusive, of paragraph (2) of, subdivision (c) shall be released to the public by the custodian of records within 10 business days of the request or the disposition of the investigation, whichever is later.

(2) The description listed in subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) shall be released to the public by the custodian of records within 10 business days after the release of the documents pursuant to paragraph (1).

(e) (1) Prior to releasing any document pursuant to subdivision (c), the custodian of records shall redact the following information:

(A) The names, addresses, telephone numbers, ethnicity, religion, or any other identifying information of any person or institution, other than the county or the State Department of Social Services, that is mentioned in the documents listed in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (c).

(B) Any information that would, after consultation with the district attorney, jeopardize a criminal investigation or proceeding.

(C) Any information that is privileged, confidential, or not subject to disclosure pursuant to any other state or federal law.

(2) (A) The State Department of Social Services shall promulgate a regulation listing the laws described in subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) and setting forth standards governing redactions.

(B) Notwithstanding the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code), until emergency regulations are filed with the Secretary of State, the State Department of Social Services may implement the changes made to Section 827 and this section at the 2007–08 Regular Session of the Legislature through all-county letters or similar instructions from the director. The department shall adopt emergency regulations, as necessary to implement those changes, no later than January 1, 2009.

(C) The adoption of regulations pursuant to this paragraph shall be deemed to be an emergency necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, safety, or general welfare. The emergency regulations authorized by this section shall be exempt from review by the Office of Administrative Law. The emergency regulations authorized by this section shall be submitted for filing with the Secretary of State and shall remain in effect for no more than 180 days, by which time the final regulations shall be adopted.

(g) Juvenile case file records that are not subject to disclosure pursuant to this section shall only be disclosed upon an order by the juvenile court pursuant to Section 827.

(h) Once documents pursuant to this section have been released by the custodian of records, the State Department of Social Services or the county welfare department or agency may comment on the case within the scope of the release. If the county welfare department or agency comments publicly about the case within the scope of the release pursuant to this subdivision, the social worker on the case may also comment publicly about the case within the scope of the release.

(i) Information released by a custodian of records consistent with the requirements of this section does not require prior notice to any other individual.

(j) Each county welfare department or agency shall notify the State Department of Social Services of every child fatality that occurred within its jurisdiction that was the result of child abuse or neglect. Based on these notices and any other relevant information in the State Department of Social Services’ possession, the department shall annually issue a report identifying the child fatalities and any systemic issues or patterns revealed by the notices and other relevant information.

(k) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) “Child abuse or neglect” and “abuse or neglect” have the same meaning as defined in Section 11165.6 of the Penal Code.

(2) “Custodian of records,” for the purposes of this section and paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 827, means the county welfare department or agency.

(3) “Juvenile case files” or “case files” includes any juvenile court files, as defined in Rule 5.552 of the California Rules of Court, and any county child welfare department or agency or State Department of Social Services records regardless of whether they are maintained electronically or in paper form.

(4) “Substantiated” has the same meaning as that term is used with respect to a substantiated report as defined in Section 11165.12 of the Penal Code.

( l ) A person disclosing juvenile case file information as required by this section shall not be subject to liability in any civil or criminal proceeding for complying with the requirements of this section.

(m) This section shall apply only to deaths that occur on or after January 1, 2008.

(n) This section does not require a custodian of records to retain documents beyond any date otherwise required by law.

(o) This section does not require a custodian of records to obtain documents not in the case file.

(p) This section does not authorize the disclosure of information that reveals the identity of a person or persons who provided information related to suspected abuse, neglect, or maltreatment of the child.

(q) (1) If the death of a child or nonminor dependent occurred while the child or nonminor dependent was subject to the jurisdiction of the court, the court may retain jurisdiction on its own motion or at the request of any party to the dependency case for the exclusive purpose of receiving documents and information, including medical records, police reports, and autopsy reports, related to the circumstances of the death.

(2) If a court retains jurisdiction pursuant to paragraph (1), the following requirements shall be satisfied:

(A) The custodian of records shall treat the juvenile court as a requester pursuant to subdivision (c).

(B) Notwithstanding any other law, the court shall retain jurisdiction until the records have been received.

(3) For purposes of this subdivision, “party” includes a deceased child’s or nonminor dependent’s parent, legal guardian or Indian custodian and their counsel of record, if any, the counsel who had been representing the deceased child or nonminor dependent at the time of the child’s or nonminor dependent’s death, any intervening sibling and their counsel, and a child’s or nonminor dependent’s tribe regardless of whether the tribe has intervened pursuant to Section 224.4 and any counsel for the tribe.

(4) The court shall terminate all jurisdiction upon receiving records for the purposes described in paragraph (1), even if the cause of death is indeterminate.

(5) This subdivision does not require a child welfare agency to gather information from other investigating agencies for the purpose of providing them to the juvenile court if the child welfare agency is not already investigating the cause of death.

(6) The Judicial Council shall adopt a rule of court to implement this subdivision.