(a)

(1) No later than July 1, 2006, the department shall establish a demonstration program that conforms to the requirements of this part and carries out its purposes in at least three (3) but no more than five (5) areas of the state selected by the department. The multi-level response system shall be designed to protect children from maltreatment, through the effective use of available community-based public and private services. The program should be staffed by case managers and other personnel and child protective services investigators, as called for in this part. There shall be at least one (1) area in each grand division of the state. Areas may be composed of any combination of one (1) or more counties. No later than July 1, 2007, the demonstration program shall be expanded to include a total of no less than ten (10) areas of the state selected by the department. No later than July 1, 2010, the program shall be implemented in all areas of the state.

(2) To facilitate accomplishment of the purposes of this part, the department shall establish a state advisory committee composed of representatives from the offices of the commissioners of correction, education, health, human services, mental health and substance abuse services, and intellectual and developmental disabilities, the commission on children and youth, and any other state or community-based public or private agency or office that the department determines serves children or families in ways that might be used in the demonstration program. The department shall pursue the creation of such interagency agreements permitted by law as will enable the department to accomplish the purposes of this part.

(b) The department shall advise the governor, the judiciary committee of the senate, the committee of the house of representatives having oversight over children and families, and the health and welfare committee of the senate of the progress the department is making toward implementation of the program by providing them with a summary progress report highlighting key implementation activities, including, but not limited to, site selection, timelines, barriers to implementation, identification of needed resources, interagency cooperation, and progress in establishing local advisory committees, on October 1, 2005, and every six (6) months thereafter, until statewide implementation is achieved. After the first year of operation of the program, the department shall include in its report any recommendations for changes in the law, including whether there are any kinds of cases investigated under chapter 1, parts 4 and 6 of this title, that the experience of the department shows can be safely excluded from mandatory investigation under those parts.