SB 426

This bill permits disclosure of the electronic records of the court assigned to

exercise jurisdiction under the Children's Code and the Juvenile Justice Code

(juvenile court) to a county department of human services or social services (county

department) for purposes of providing child welfare or juvenile justice intake or

dispositional services.

Under current law, the director of state courts has established an automated

information system, known as the Consolidated Court Automation Programs

(CCAP), that contains information about cases filed in the circuit courts in this state,

including cases filed in the juvenile courts. Records of the juvenile court, however,

are confidential and may not be opened to inspection, nor may their contents be

disclosed, except by an order of the juvenile court or under certain statutory

exceptions, including an exception that requires a juvenile court to make information

relating to a proceeding under the Children's Code or the Juvenile Justice Code that

is contained in the electronic records of the juvenile court available to the

Department of Children and Families, which may use or allow access to that

information only for the purposes of providing child welfare or juvenile justice intake

or dispositional services. Current law permits the director of state courts to use

CCAP to make that information available.

This bill requires the juvenile court to make information relating to a

proceeding under the Children's Code or the Juvenile Justice Code that is contained

in the electronic records of the juvenile court available to a county department, which

may use or allow access to that information only for the purposes of providing child

welfare or juvenile justice intake or dispositional services. The bill permits the

director of state courts to use CCAP to make that information available.