(a) The department of children's services shall create a juvenile commitment review task force to examine system issues and service gaps for children found to be dependent and neglected and committed to the custody of the department, and who also have pending delinquency allegations, have been determined to be incompetent to be adjudicated delinquent, or have exhibited violent behaviors that could constitute a delinquent offense.
(b) The task force shall be composed of the following:(1) The commissioner of the department of children's services or the commissioner's designee;(2) The commissioner of the department of mental health and substance abuse services or the commissioner's designee;(3) The commissioner of the department of disability and aging or the commissioner's designee;(4) The director of the administrative office of the courts or the director's designee;(5) The director of TennCare or the director's designee;(6) The executive director of the commission on children and youth or the executive director's designee;(7) The president of the council of juvenile and family court judges or the president's designee;(8) The executive director of the district attorneys general conference or the executive director's designee;(9) The executive director of the district public defenders conference or the executive director's designee;(10) A licensed attorney who regularly serves as a guardian ad litem, to be appointed by the commissioner of the department of children's services; and(11) Other individuals as determined by the commissioner of the department of children's services, including service providers.
(1) The commissioner of the department of children's services or the commissioner's designee;
(2) The commissioner of the department of mental health and substance abuse services or the commissioner's designee;
(3) The commissioner of the department of disability and aging or the commissioner's designee;
(4) The director of the administrative office of the courts or the director's designee;
(5) The director of TennCare or the director's designee;
(6) The executive director of the commission on children and youth or the executive director's designee;
(7) The president of the council of juvenile and family court judges or the president's designee;
(8) The executive director of the district attorneys general conference or the executive director's designee;
(9) The executive director of the district public defenders conference or the executive director's designee;
(10) A licensed attorney who regularly serves as a guardian ad litem, to be appointed by the commissioner of the department of children's services; and
(11) Other individuals as determined by the commissioner of the department of children's services, including service providers.
(c) The task force shall:(1) Review necessary data, including data from the administrative office of the courts;(2) Develop recommendations to improve care and case management, treatment and placement options, interagency collaboration, and court processes; and(3) Identify necessary statutory or procedural changes to support the target youth.
(1) Review necessary data, including data from the administrative office of the courts;
(2) Develop recommendations to improve care and case management, treatment and placement options, interagency collaboration, and court processes; and
(3) Identify necessary statutory or procedural changes to support the target youth.
(d) By February 1, 2027, the department of children's services shall submit a final report from the task force to the governor, the chair of the judiciary committee of the senate, and the chair of the committee of the house of representatives having jurisdiction over children and families. The report must include a summary of findings and short-term and long-term recommendations.
(e) The task force terminates on the date the report is filed.
(f) Notwithstanding another law to the contrary, the task force may access information made confidential pursuant to this title but shall not review information that would directly or indirectly identify a child or family receiving services from the department of children's services. Any confidential information reviewed by the task force remains confidential after review and is not subject to further disclosure except as necessary to carry out the purposes of this part.