37-1-182 - Juvenile records task force.

37-1-182. Juvenile records task force.

(a)  (1)  There is established a task force on the submission of juvenile fingerprints and reporting of juvenile court dispositions, which shall be named the juvenile records task force.

     (2)  The task force shall have the following members:

          (A)  The director of the Tennessee bureau of investigation (TBI) or the director's designee, who shall be a member of the director's staff;

          (B)  A juvenile court judge or magistrate from each grand division of the state, who shall be appointed by the director of the administrative office of the courts;

          (C)  A clerk or deputy clerk whose primary duties include the maintenance of juvenile court records, to be appointed by the president of the state court clerks' conference;

          (D)  The commissioner of the children's services or the commissioner's designee;

          (E)  The attorney general and reporter or attorney general and reporter's designee, who shall be an ex officio member of the task force;

          (F)  The chair of the judiciary committee of the senate and the chair of the children and family affairs committee of the house of representatives or their designees, who shall be a members of the task force;

          (G)  The chair of the select committee on children and youth of the general assembly or the chair's designee; and

          (H)  The executive director of the Tennessee commission on children and youth or the executive director's designee.

     (3)  Appointments shall be made within sixty (60) days after July 1, 2007. The governor shall designate the chair of the task force, who shall set the date of the first meeting. At the organizational meeting, a secretary shall be elected from the task force's membership.

(b)  (1)  The task force is authorized to request and receive assistance from any department, agency or entity of state government, upon request from the chair.

     (2)  Members of the task force are volunteers and shall serve without pay, except that nonlegislative members may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with travel regulations promulgated by the commissioner of finance and administration and approved by the attorney general and reporter. Members of the general assembly shall be compensated in accordance with the provisions of § 3-1-106.

(c)  The task force is directed to assess and examine:

     (1)  The process of the submission of juvenile fingerprints to the TBI and to the federal bureau of investigation;

     (2)  The maintenance of juvenile fingerprint cards;

     (3)  The reporting of dispositions of juvenile offenses;

     (4)  The disclosure or nondisclosure of juvenile offenses for employment or volunteer purposes;

     (5)  Whether a juvenile offender repository is needed;

     (6)  Whether any of the statutes referring to juvenile records and/or juvenile fingerprints are in direct conflict with other statutes and, if so, to determine how to correct any ambiguities; and

     (7)  Any other relevant issues that concern juvenile fingerprint submissions, dispositions, and disclosures of juvenile records.

(d)  The task force is directed to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including any suggested legislation, to the general assembly and the governor no later than February 15, 2008.

[Acts 2007, ch. 552, §§ 2-5; 2009, ch. 235, §  1.]