(a) The Secretary shall appoint and convene an expert panel on child abuse and neglect relating to research and data collection at least one time each year.
(b) The panel shall assist the Secretary in:
(1) Reviewing the appropriateness of current procedural terminology (CPT) codes and billing protocols for services provided regarding child abuse and neglect; and
(2) Determining how diagnosis and treatment data may be preserved to provide statistics on the extent of child abuse and neglect in the State, including through the creation of a special billing code.
(c) The panel shall meet at least one time each year with representatives from each emergency room, child advocacy center, and any other facility that provides expert child abuse and neglect care, as defined in § 5–712 of the Family Law Article, to provide training in current procedural terminology (CPT) codes and billing protocols.
(d) On or before December 1 of each year, the panel shall submit a report, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State Government Article, to the General Assembly on the data collected on child abuse and neglect diagnosis and treatment and the activities of the Initiative.