(a)
(1) There is established within the Department of Human Services a statewide Adult and Long-term Care Facility Resident Maltreatment Central Registry.
(2) The registry shall contain investigative determinations made by the department on all founded reports of adult maltreatment and long-term care facility resident maltreatment.
(3) An offender's name shall be placed in the registry if:
(A) After notice, the offender does not timely request an administrative hearing; or
(B) Upon completion of the administrative hearing process, the department's investigative determination of founded is upheld.
(4) An offender's name shall remain in the registry unless:
(A) The name is removed under a statute;
(B) The name is removed under a rule; or
(C) The offender prevails upon appeal.
(b) The department may adopt rules necessary to encourage cooperation with other states in exchanging reports to effect a national registry system of adult maltreatment.
(c)
(1) The department may charge a reasonable fee not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) for researching, copying, and mailing records of the investigative files maintained under this subchapter.
(2) The department may also charge a reasonable fee for reproducing copies of tapes and photographs maintained under this subchapter.
(3) No fee may be charged to a nonprofit or volunteer agency that requests a search of the investigative files maintained under this subchapter.
(4) No fee may be charged under this subchapter to a person who is indigent.