Section 18973.

(a) Each citizen review panel established pursuant to Section 5106a(c) of Title 42 of the United States Code shall examine the policies, procedures, and practices of state and local child protective services agencies and, where appropriate, specific cases, to evaluate the extent to which the agencies are effectively discharging their child protection responsibilities in accordance with the state child and family services plan and the child protection standards set forth under Section 5106a(b) of Title 42 of the United States Code, and with relevant sections of this code and the Penal Code.

(b) A citizen review panel may review the extent to which the state child protective services system is coordinated with the foster care and adoption programs established under Part E of Title IV of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 670 et seq.).

(c) A panel may examine any other criteria its members consider important to ensure the protection of children.

(d) Each panel shall be composed of volunteer members who are broadly representative of the community in which a panel is established, including members who have expertise in the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect, private citizens, former consumers of services, court-appointed special advocates, foster parents, children's attorneys, law enforcement personnel, health and mental health professionals, substance abuse professionals, representatives from elementary and secondary education, representatives from higher education, mandated reporters, and representatives of tribal governments.

(e) The members and staff of a citizen review panel may not disclose to any person or government official any identifying information about any specific child protection case that is provided to the panel.

(f) Nothing in this section shall preclude a panel from releasing any information provided to the panel that will permit the panel to inform the public, a county child welfare services agency, a county board of supervisors, and other relevant agency concerning the panel's progress, findings, and recommendations, if the information does not contain identifying information about any specific child protection case.

(g) A panel shall attempt to obtain case information that is free of data that reveals the identity of the recipients of service.

(h) A violation of subdivision (e) may be punishable by a civil fine of up to five hundred dollars ($500).

(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 350, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2005.)