Montana § 41-3-901 - Central Registry -- Purpose -- Determinations

§ 41-3-901. Central Registry -- Purpose -- Determinations

Central registry -- purpose -- determinations. (1) There is established a statewide central registry to maintain information on individuals who are the subject of substantiated determinations of child abuse or neglect. The information may be made available during a background check of an individual as provided for in 41-3-205 and may affect the individual's ability to volunteer or obtain employment or licensure in areas in which the individual may have unsupervised contact with children, such as child care, foster care, or group home care. (2) For the purposes of this part, a determination of child abuse or neglect must be categorized according to the following definitions: (a) (i) "Substantiated" means that the department has investigated the reported act of child abuse or neglect and determined by a preponderance of the evidence that an act of child abuse or neglect occurred. (ii) The subject of a substantiated determination may be added to the central registry and must be notified of the consequences of being listed in the central registry, as well as the subject's rights and procedures for requesting expungement from the central registry. (b) "Unfounded" means that the department has investigated the reported act of child abuse or neglect and there is no evidence to corroborate the report. (c) "Unsubstantiated" means that the department has investigated the reported act of child abuse or neglect and is unable to determine by a preponderance of the evidence that an act of child abuse or neglect occurred.