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H.B. 341

             1     

INTERVIEW OF A CHILD NOT IN PROTECTIVE OR

             2     
LEGAL STATE CUSTODY

             3     
2011 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Michael T. Morley

             6     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill enacts provisions within Title 53A, State System of Public Education, and the
             11      Juvenile Court Act of 1996, relating to the interviewing of children who are not in the
             12      protective custody or court-ordered legal custody of the Division of Child and Family
             13      Services.
             14      Highlighted Provisions:
             15          This bill:
             16          .    prohibits an educator, school district, or public school from making a child who is
             17      not in the protective custody or court-ordered legal custody of the Division of Child
             18      and Family Services available for an interview by a law enforcement officer or an
             19      agent or employee of the division, unless the person seeking to conduct the
             20      interview provides the written statement described in this bill;
             21          .    prohibits a law enforcement officer or an employee or agent of the division from
             22      interviewing a child who is not in the protective or court-ordered legal custody of
             23      the division, unless:
             24              .    before conducting the interview, the person who interviews the child obtains
             25      permission to conduct the interview from a parent of the child and gives the
             26      parent an opportunity to be present for the interview or to designate another
             27      person to be present for the interview;


             28              .    the interview is for the purpose of investigating a crime for which the parent is a
             29      suspect; or
             30              .    the interview is for the purpose of investigating a crime and the person
             31      conducting the interview has knowledge of facts that would lead a reasonable
             32      person to believe that the child's parent would take action to protect the suspect
             33      from prosecution;
             34          .    requires an interviewer to provide a signed, written statement stating the grounds for
             35      the interview; and
             36          .    provides that a law enforcement officer or state employee who violates the
             37      provisions of this bill is subject to disciplinary action by the law enforcement
             38      officer's or state employee's employer.
             39      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             40          None
             41      Other Special Clauses:
             42          None
             43      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             44      ENACTS:
             45          53A-11-505, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             46          78A-6-325, Utah Code Annotated 1953
             47     
             48      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             49          Section 1. Section 53A-11-505 is enacted to read:
             50          53A-11-505. Making a child available for interview.
             51          (1) An educator, school district, or public school may not release or otherwise make a
             52      child, who is not in the protective custody or court-ordered legal custody of the Division of
             53      Child and Family Services, available for an interview by a law enforcement officer or an agent
             54      or employee of the Division of Child and Family Services, unless the person seeking to conduct
             55      the interview provides the educator, school district, or public school with the signed, written
             56      statement described in Subsection 78A-6-325 (3).
             57          (2) An educator or an employee of a public school who violates this section is subject
             58      to disciplinary action by the educator's or employee's employer.


             59          Section 2. Section 78A-6-325 is enacted to read:
             60          78A-6-325. Interview of a child not in protective or legal custody.
             61          (1) A law enforcement officer or an employee or agent of the division may not
             62      interview a child who is not in the protective custody or court-ordered legal custody of the
             63      division, unless:
             64          (a) before conducting the interview, the person who interviews the child:
             65          (i) obtains permission to conduct the interview from a parent of the child; and
             66          (ii) gives the parent an opportunity to be present for the interview or to designate
             67      another person, including an attorney, to be present for the interview;
             68          (b) the interview is for the purpose of investigating a crime for which the parent is a
             69      suspect; or
             70          (c) (i) the interview is for the purpose of investigating a crime; and
             71          (ii) subject to Subsection (2), the person conducting the interview has knowledge of
             72      facts that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the child's parent would take action to
             73      protect the suspect from prosecution.
             74          (2) The fact that the child's parent is related to the suspect is not, by itself, sufficient to
             75      justify interviewing a child under the exception described in Subsection (1)(c). The person
             76      desiring to conduct the interview without parental consent, under Subsection (1)(c), must have
             77      knowledge of specific facts, other than the existence of a relationship, that would lead a
             78      reasonable person to believe that the particular parent would take action to protect the
             79      particular suspect.
             80          (3) Before a person who is a law enforcement officer or a person who is an employee
             81      or agent of the division requests an employee of a school district or a public school to make a
             82      child available for an interview, the person shall provide a signed, written statement to the
             83      employee:
             84          (a) stating that the person is authorized to conduct the interview under this section; and
             85          (b) specifying the grounds, described in Subsection (1)(a), (b), or (c), upon which the
             86      interview is being conducted.
             87          (4) A law enforcement officer or state employee who violates this section is subject to
             88      disciplinary action by the law enforcement officer's or employee's employer.





Legislative Review Note
    as of 2-1-11 6:26 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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