General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5402
January Session, 2017 LCO No. 3235
*03235HB05402KID*
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 5402
January Session, 2017
LCO No. 3235
*03235HB05402KID*
Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
Introduced by:
(KID)
AN ACT CONCERNING CAMERA, COMPUTER AND CELLULAR MOBILE TELEPHONE REPAIR PERSONNEL AS MANDATED REPORTERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 17a-101 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2017):
(a) The public policy of this state is: To protect children whose health and welfare may be adversely affected through injury and neglect; to strengthen the family and to make the home safe for children by enhancing the parental capacity for good child care; to provide a temporary or permanent nurturing and safe environment for children when necessary; and for these purposes to require the reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect, investigation of such reports by a social agency, and provision of services, where needed, to such child and family.
(b) The following persons shall be mandated reporters: (1) Any physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 370, (2) any resident physician or intern in any hospital in this state, whether or not so licensed, (3) any registered nurse, (4) any licensed practical nurse, (5) any medical examiner, (6) any dentist, (7) any dental hygienist, (8) any psychologist, (9) any school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, (10) any social worker, (11) any person who holds or is issued a coaching permit by the State Board of Education, is a coach of intramural or interscholastic athletics and is eighteen years of age or older, (12) any individual who is employed as a coach or director of youth athletics and is eighteen years of age or older, (13) any individual who is employed as a coach or director of a private youth sports organization, league or team and is eighteen years of age or older, (14) any paid administrator, faculty, staff, athletic director, athletic coach or athletic trainer employed by a public or private institution of higher education who is eighteen years of age or older, excluding student employees, (15) any police officer, (16) any juvenile or adult probation officer, (17) any juvenile or adult parole officer, (18) any member of the clergy, (19) any pharmacist, (20) any physical therapist, (21) any optometrist, (22) any chiropractor, (23) any podiatrist, (24) any mental health professional, (25) any physician assistant, (26) any person who is a licensed or certified emergency medical services provider, (27) any person who is a licensed or certified alcohol and drug counselor, (28) any person who is a licensed marital and family therapist, (29) any person who is a sexual assault counselor or a domestic violence counselor, as defined in section 52-146k, (30) any person who is a licensed professional counselor, (31) any person who is a licensed foster parent, (32) any person paid to care for a child in any public or private facility, child care center, group child care home or family child care home licensed by the state, (33) any employee of the Department of Children and Families, (34) any employee of the Department of Public Health, (35) any employee of the Office of Early Childhood who is responsible for the licensing of child care centers, group child care homes, family child care homes or youth camps, (36) any paid youth camp director or assistant director, (37) the Child Advocate and any employee of the Office of the Child Advocate, [and] (38) any family relations counselor, family relations counselor trainee or family services supervisor employed by the Judicial Department, and (39) any person employed to repair a camera, computer or cellular mobile telephone.
(c) The Commissioner of Children and Families shall develop an educational training program and refresher training program for the accurate and prompt identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect. Such training program and refresher training program shall be made available to all persons mandated to report child abuse and neglect at various times and locations throughout the state as determined by the Commissioner of Children and Families. Such training program and refresher training program shall be provided in accordance with the provisions of subsection (f) of section 17a-101i to each school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, within available appropriations.
(d) On or before October 1, 2011, the Department of Children and Families, in consultation with the Department of Education, shall develop a model mandated reporting policy for use by local and regional boards of education. Such policy shall state applicable state law regarding mandated reporting and any relevant information that may assist school districts in the performance of mandated reporting. Such policy shall include, but not be limited to, the following information: (1) Those persons employed by the local or regional board of education who are required pursuant to this section to be mandated reporters, (2) the type of information that is to be reported, (3) the time frame for both written and verbal mandated reports, (4) a statement that the school district may conduct its own investigation into an allegation of abuse or neglect by a school employee, provided such investigation does not impede an investigation by the Department of Children and Families, and (5) a statement that retaliation against mandated reporters is prohibited. Such policy shall be updated and revised as necessary.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2017 17a-101
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
October 1, 2017
17a-101
Statement of Purpose:
To include camera, computer and cellular mobile telephone repair personnel as mandated reporters of child abuse and neglect.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. DAVIS C., 57th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. DAVIS C., 57th Dist.
H.B. 5402