§540D. Multidisciplinary teams
(a)
(1) the term "child sexual abuse material" means a visual depiction described in section 2256(8)(A) of title 18;
(2) the term "covered investigation" means any investigation of child sexual exploitation or abuse, the production of child sexual abuse material, or child trafficking conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(3) the term "Director" means the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
(4) the term "multidisciplinary team" means a multidisciplinary team established or used under subsection (b)(2);
(5) the term "relevant children's advocacy center personnel" means children's advocacy center staff that regularly participate in multidisciplinary child support settings, including the director of the children's advocacy center, the coordinator of a multidisciplinary team, forensic interviewers, victim advocates, forensic medical evaluators, physicians, sexual assault nurse examiners, and mental health clinicians; and
(6) the term "victim advocate" means a person, whether paid or serving as a volunteer, who provides services to victims under the auspices or supervision of a victim services program.
(b)
(1)
(A) use a multidisciplinary team; and
(B) in accordance with paragraph (3), use-
(i) a trained Federal Bureau of Investigation child adolescent forensic interviewer; or
(ii) in the absence of a trained Federal Bureau of Investigation child adolescent forensic interviewer, a trained forensic interviewer at a children's advocacy center.
(2)
(3)
(A) may work with children's advocacy centers to implement a multidisciplinary team approaches 1 for purposes of covered investigations; and
(B) shall allow, facilitate, and encourage multidisciplinary teams to collaborate with a children's advocacy center with regard to availability, provision, and use of services to and by victims and families that are participants in or affected by the actions at issue in a covered investigation.
(4)
(A) without the use of-
(i) a multidisciplinary approach;
(ii) a trained forensic interviewer; or
(iii) either the use of a multidisciplinary approach or a trained forensic interviewer; and
(B) for each interview identified under subparagraph (A), describing the exigent circumstances that existed with respect to the interview, in accordance with paragraph (1).
(5)
(A) under which-
(i) the children's advocacy services of the national organization are made available to field offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States; and
(ii) special agents and other employees of the Federal Bureau of Investigation are made aware of the existence of such memoranda and its purposes; and
(B) which shall reflect a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach and provide for case review.
(c)
(1) To provide for the sharing of information among the members of a multidisciplinary team, when such a team is used, and with other appropriate personnel regarding the progress of a covered investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(2) To provide for and enhance collaborative efforts among the members of a multidisciplinary team, when such a team is used, and other appropriate personnel regarding a covered investigation.
(3) To enhance the social services available to victims in connection with a covered investigation, including through the enhancement of cooperation among specialists and other personnel providing such services in connection with a covered investigation.
(4) To carry out other duties regarding the response to investigations of child sexual abuse or trafficking.
(d)
(1)
(A) Appropriate investigative personnel.
(B) Appropriate mental health professionals.
(C) Appropriate medical personnel.
(D) Victim advocates or victim specialists.
(E) Relevant children's advocacy center personnel, with respect to covered investigations in which the children's advocacy center or personnel of the children's advocacy center were used in the course of the covered investigation.
(F) Prosecutors, as appropriate.
(2)
(A)
(B)
(e)
(1)
(A)
(B)
(i) case outcome of forensic interviews;
(ii) medical evaluation outcomes;
(iii) mental health treatment referrals and treatment completion;
(iv) safety planning and child protection issues;
(v) victim service needs and referrals addressed by the victim advocate;
(vi) case disposition;
(vii) case outcomes; and
(viii) any other information required for a children's advocacy centers 1 as a part of the standards of practice of the children's advocacy center; and
(C)
(i) classified information;
(ii) the identity of confidential informants; or
(iii) other investigative information not included as a part of the standards of practice of the children's advocacy center.
(2)
(3)
(A)
(B)
(f)
(g)
(1) share information about case progress;
(2) address any investigative or prosecutorial barriers; and
(3) ensure that victims receive support and needed treatment.
(h)
(i)
(1)
(2)
(Added