7 AAC 58.020 - Membership and maintenance of the state panel,

(a) The state panel may not exceed a total of nine members. The state panel must be composed of a minimum of five members. Each member must be a volunteer and a resident of the state. Each of the five separate administrative regions established by the department for the administration of children's services must be represented by at least one member of the panel who resides in that region. Three members constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

(b) Members of the state panel must be broadly representative of the state. In addition to meeting the requirement in (a) of this section for representing administrative regions, the state panel must represent the state's diversity geographically and with respect to gender, ethnicity, professional background, race, and life experience. The panel must include five or more members in the following categories, and not more than two members may be in the same category:

(1) a professional with expertise in prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect;

(2) a parent who has had a previous open case with the office of children's services in the department;

(3) a foster parent;

(4) a peace officer;

(5) a health or behavioral health provider;

(6) a tribal representative;

(7) a child advocate;

(8) an attorney with significant experience representing children or parents in child protection matters; or

(9) an individual with work experience in child protection services.

(c) The state panel shall establish procedures to appoint its members. The panel or the department may not appoint an individual who is listed on the United States Department of Justice's Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) maintained under 34 U.S.C. 20922, the Alaska Sex Offender/Child Kidnapper Registry that the Department of Public Safety maintains under AS 18.65.087, or a list or registry maintained under a substantially similar law in another jurisdiction. The panel shall consult with the director or the director's designee before it appoints a member. The director or the director's designee may approve or reject a member. If there is no quorum as described in (a) of this section, the commissioner or commissioner's designee may appoint members to form the state panel.

(d) The process to recruit and appoint a member must be fair, open, non-discriminatory, and clearly documented. The state panel shall advertise statewide to recruit a member.

(e) The state panel shall establish policies and procedures for its operations. The panel's policies and procedures must include the following:

(1) organizational structure;

(2) member recruitment and retention;

(3) member tenure;

(4) member responsibilities; and

(5) access to department databases, data, and reports related to child protection.

(f) A panel member may serve a maximum of two consecutive three-year terms. A panel member who is elected to an officer position on the panel may serve one additional consecutive term in that position, in addition to terms already served in another elected position or as a member at large. A panel member may serve an unlimited number of non-consecutive terms.

Notes

7 AAC 58.020

Eff. 8/8/2020, Register 235, October 2020

Authority:AS 47.14.205

AS 47.14.215