HB1280 Summary

• Department of Human Services must investigate child care facility complaints following prescribed procedures and must clearly designate findings as substantiated or unsubstantiated on investigation reports.

• Complainants may remain anonymous or elect to be confidential complainants; confidential complainants can choose to remain confidential only until investigation completion (then name is disclosed) or indefinitely (name never disclosed to facility).

• Department may not investigate anonymous complaints or complaints about events occurring more than six weeks prior, except those involving serious risk of harm to children, which must be referred to Child Welfare Services or law enforcement.

• Investigator must obtain supervisor approval before proceeding with investigation and must inform the facility of the complainant's name and complaint substance, except when doing so would jeopardize investigation involving serious risk of harm to a child.

• Unsubstantiated complaint records must be kept confidential and removed from public online database; Department has no authority over facility operational policies and is limited to one investigative visit unless serious risk of harm exists; false complaints are misdemeanors with fines up to $200.