PUBLIC LAW 104-235—OCT. 3, 1996 110 STAT. 3065 activities are performed by another entity or entities within the Department of Health and Human Services, the Secretary shall ensure that such functions and activities are executed with the necessary expertise and in a fully coordinated manner involving regular intradepartmental and interdepartmental consultation with all agencies involved in child abuse and neglect activities.". SEC. 102. ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. Section 102 of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5102) is amended to read as follows: "SEC. 102. ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. "(a) APPOINTMENT. — The Secretary may appoint an advisory board to make recommendations to the Secretary and to the appropriate committees of Congress concerning specific issues relating to child abuse and neglect. "(b) SOLICITATION OF NOMINATIONS. — The Secretary shall pub- Federal Register, lish a notice in the Federal Register soliciting nominations for publication, the appointment of members of the advisory board under subsection (a). "(c) COMPOSITION.—In establishing the board under subsection (a), the Secretary shall appoint members from the genereJ public who are individuals knowledgeable in child abuse and neglect prevention, intervention, treatment, or research, and with due consideration to representation of ethnic or racial minorities and diverse geographic areas, and who represent— "(1) law (including the judiciary); "(2) psychology (including child development); "(3) social services (including child protective services); "(4) medicine (including pediatrics); "(5) State and local government; "(6) organizations providing services to disabled persons; "(7) orgginizations providing services to adolescents; "(8) teachers; "(9) parent self-help organizations; "(10) parents'groups; "(11) voluntary groups; "(12) family rights groups; and "(13) children's rights advocates. "(d) VACANCIES.—Any vacancy in the membership of the board shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made. "(e) ELECTION OF OFFICERS. —The board shall elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson at its first meeting from among the members of the board. "(f) DUTIES.— Not later than 1 year after the establishment Reports. of the board under subsection (a), the board shall submit to the Secretary and the appropriate committees of Congress a report, or interim report, containing— "(1) recommendations on coordinating Federal, State, and local child abuse and neglect activities with similar activities at the Federal, State, and local level pertaining to family violence prevention; "(2) specific modifications needed in Federal and State laws and programs to reduce the number of unfounded or unsubstantiated reports of child abuse or neglect while enhancing the ability to identify and substantiate legitimate cases of abuse or neglect which place a child in danger; and
�
