Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06952 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 1 of 8
	3	+	LCO No. 4687 1 of 6
4	4
5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6952
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6952
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 4687
7	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN
	11	+
	12	+
	13	+	Introduced by:
	14	+	(KID)
8	15
9	16
10	17
11	18
12	19		AN ACT CONCERNING CERTAIN RECREATIONAL AND
13	20		EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS.
14	21		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	22		Assembly convened:
16	23
17	24		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 1
18	25		section, "recreational or educational children's program" means any 2
19	26		regularly scheduled program or organized group activity operated only 3
20	27		during school vacations or on weekends by a person, a partnership, a 4
21	28		corporation, an association, the state or a municipal agency for 5
22	29		recreational or educational purposes that accommodates, for a period of 6
23	30		three days or more per week or portions of three or more days per week, 7
24	31		five or more children who are (1) at least three years of age and under 8
25	32		sixteen years of age, (2) not bona fide personal guests in the private 9
26	33		home of an individual, and (3) living apart from their relatives, parents 10
27	34		or legal guardian, including, but not limited to, (A) classroom-based 11
28	35		summer instructional programs operated by any person, (B) summer 12
29	36		educational programs operated by public schools, or private schools in 13
30	37		compliance with section 10-188 of the general statutes, and approved by 14
31	38		the State Board of Education or accredited by an accrediting agency 15
32	39		recognized by the State Board of Education, (C) licensed child care 16
	40	+	Raised Bill No. 6952
	41	+
	42	+
	43	+
	44	+	LCO No. 4687 2 of 6
	45	+
33	46		centers, and (D) drop-in programs for children who are at least six years 17
34	47		of age administered by a nationally chartered boys' and girls' club. 18
35		-	(b) On and after January 1, 2026, a recreational or educational 19 Substitute Bill No. 6952
	48	+	(b) On and after January 1, 2026, no recreational or educational 19
	49	+	children's program that does not hold a license to operate a youth camp 20
	50	+	issued pursuant to section 19a-421 of the general statutes shall use the 21
	51	+	term "camp" in the name of such program in any advertising materials. 22
	52	+	(c) A violation of subsection (b) of this section shall be deemed an 23
	53	+	unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42-110b 24
	54	+	of the general statutes. 25
	55	+	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 26
	56	+	section, "municipal recreational or educational children's program" 27
	57	+	means any regularly scheduled program or organized group activity 28
	58	+	operated only during school vacations or on weekends by a municipal 29
	59	+	agency for recreational or educational purposes that accommodates, for 30
	60	+	a period of three days or more per week or portions of three or more 31
	61	+	days per week, five or more children who are at least three years of age 32
	62	+	and under sixteen years of age. 33
	63	+	(b) On and after January 1, 2026, each municipal agency that operates 34
	64	+	a municipal recreational or educational children's program shall require 35
	65	+	any prospective employee eighteen years of age or older, who is 36
	66	+	applying for a position at such program that requires the provision of 37
	67	+	care to a child or involves unsupervised access to a child, to submit to a 38
	68	+	comprehensive background check. The background check shall include, 39
	69	+	but not be limited to, a (1) (A) criminal history records check conducted 40
	70	+	(i) in accordance with section 29-17a of the general statutes, or (ii) by 41
	71	+	searching the electronic criminal record system maintained on the 42
	72	+	Internet web site of the Judicial Department for convictions matching 43
	73	+	the prospective employee's name and date of birth, (B) check of the state 44
	74	+	child abuse registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k of the 45
	75	+	general statutes, (C) check of the registry established and maintained 46
	76	+	pursuant to section 54-257 of the general statutes, and (D) check of the 47
	77	+	Raised Bill No. 6952
36	78
37	79
38		-	LCO 2 of 8
39	80
40		-	children's program that does not hold a license to operate a youth camp 20
41		-	issued pursuant to section 19a-421 of the general statutes shall not use 21
42		-	the term "camp" in the name of such program in any advertising 22
43		-	materials unless such advertising materials state that such program 23
44		-	does not hold a license to operate as a youth camp issued by the Office 24
45		-	of Early Childhood. 25
46		-	(c) A violation of subsection (b) of this section shall be deemed an 26
47		-	unfair or deceptive trade practice under subsection (a) of section 42-110b 27
48		-	of the general statutes. 28
49		-	Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) For the purposes of this 29
50		-	section, "municipal recreational or educational children's program" 30
51		-	means any regularly scheduled program or organized group activity 31
52		-	operated only during school vacations or on weekends by a municipal 32
53		-	agency for recreational or educational purposes that accommodates, for 33
54		-	a period of three days or more per week or portions of three or more 34
55		-	days per week, five or more children who are at least three years of age 35
56		-	and under sixteen years of age. 36
57		-	(b) On and after January 1, 2026, each municipal agency that operates 37
58		-	a municipal recreational or educational children's program shall require 38
59		-	any prospective employee eighteen years of age or older, who is 39
60		-	applying for a position at such program that requires the provision of 40
61		-	care to a child or involves unsupervised access to a child, to submit to a 41
62		-	comprehensive background check. The background check shall include, 42
63		-	but not be limited to, a (1) (A) criminal history records check conducted 43
64		-	(i) in accordance with section 29-17a of the general statutes, or (ii) by 44
65		-	searching the electronic criminal record system maintained on the 45
66		-	Internet web site of the Judicial Department for convictions matching 46
67		-	the prospective employee's name and year of birth, (B) check of the state 47
68		-	child abuse registry established pursuant to section 17a-101k of the 48
69		-	general statutes, (C) check of the registry established and maintained 49
70		-	pursuant to section 54-257 of the general statutes, and (D) check of the 50
71		-	National Sex Offender Registry Public Website maintained by the 51
72		-	United States Department of Justice, or (2) check by a third-party 52 Substitute Bill No. 6952
	81	+	LCO No. 4687 3 of 6
73	82
74		-
75		-	LCO 3 of 8
76		-
77		-	provider of national criminal history record checks. 53
	83	+	National Sex Offender Registry Public Website maintained by the 48
	84	+	United States Department of Justice, or (2) check by a third-party 49
	85	+	provider of national criminal history record checks that is conducted 50
	86	+	through a centralized database utilizing the prospective employee's 51
	87	+	fingerprints, provided such provider appears on a list of such providers 52
	88	+	published on the Internet web site of the Office of Early Childhood. 53
78	89		(c) Pending completion of all comprehensive background check 54
79	90		components described in subsection (b) of this section, a prospective 55
80	91		employee may begin work on a provisional basis, provided such 56
81	92		prospective employee shall be supervised at all times by an employee 57
82	93		who was subjected to a comprehensive background check described in 58
83	94		subsection (b) of this section within the past five years. 59
84	95		(d) Each municipal agency shall require each employee of a 60
85		-	~~municipal~~ recreational or educational children's program operated by 61
86		-	~~such agency~~ who ~~is eighteen years of age or older and~~ holds a position 62
87		-	~~that requires the provision of care~~ to a child ~~or involves unsupervised~~ 63
88		-	~~access to a child to submit to a comprehensive~~ background check 64
89		-	~~described in subsection (b) of this section not later~~ than five years after 65
90		-	~~the date such employee was hired, and at least once~~ every five years 66
91		-	~~thereafter. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a~~ municipal agency 67
92		-	~~from requiring any such employee to submit to~~ a ~~comprehensive~~ 68
93		-	~~background check more than once during a five-year~~ period. 69
	96	+	recreational or educational children's program operated by such agency 61
	97	+	who holds a position that requires the provision of care to a child or 62
	98	+	involves unsupervised access to a child to submit to a comprehensive 63
	99	+	background check described in subsection (b) of this section not later 64
	100	+	than five years after the date such employee was hired, and at least once 65
	101	+	every five years thereafter. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a 66
	102	+	municipal agency from requiring any such employee to submit to a 67
	103	+	comprehensive background check more than once during a five-year 68
	104	+	period. 69
94	105		Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) On and after January 1, 2026, each 70
95	106		municipal recreational or educational children's program, as defined in 71
96	107		section 2 of this act, shall maintain (1) a ratio of not less than one staff 72
97		-	person for every twelve children on the program's premises during the 73
98		-	hours of such program's daily operation, and (2) not less than one staff 74
99		-	person who is trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid on 75
100		-	the program's premises during the hours of such program's daily 76
101		-	operation and at any activities conducted off-site from such premises 77
102		-	during such hours at which children enrolled in such program are 78
103		-	present. 79
	108	+	person over the age of eighteen for every twelve children on the 73
	109	+	program's premises during the hours of such program's daily operation, 74
	110	+	and (2) not less than one staff person who is trained in cardiopulmonary 75
	111	+	resuscitation and first aid on the program's premises during the hours 76
	112	+	of such program's daily operation and at any activities conducted off-77
	113	+	site from such premises during such hours at which children enrolled in 78
	114	+	such program are present. 79
	115	+	Raised Bill No. 6952
	116	+
	117	+
	118	+
	119	+	LCO No. 4687 4 of 6
	120	+
104	121		Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 17a-101 of the general statutes is 80
105	122		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 81
106	123		2025): 82
107	124		(b) The following persons shall be mandated reporters: (1) Any 83
108		-	physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 370, (2) 84 Substitute Bill No. 6952
109		-
110		-
111		-	LCO 4 of 8
112		-
	125	+	physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 370, (2) 84
113	126		any resident physician or intern in any hospital in this state, whether or 85
114	127		not so licensed, (3) any registered nurse, (4) any licensed practical nurse, 86
115	128		(5) any medical examiner, (6) any dentist, (7) any dental hygienist, (8) 87
116	129		any psychologist, (9) any school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, 88
117	130		(10) any social worker, (11) any person who holds or is issued a coaching 89
118	131		permit by the State Board of Education, is a coach of intramural or 90
119	132		interscholastic athletics and is eighteen years of age or older, (12) any 91
120	133		individual who is employed as a coach or director of youth athletics and 92
121	134		is eighteen years of age or older, (13) any individual who is employed 93
122	135		as a coach or director of a private youth sports organization, league or 94
123	136		team and is eighteen years of age or older, (14) any paid administrator, 95
124	137		faculty, staff, athletic director, athletic coach or athletic trainer employed 96
125	138		by a public or private institution of higher education who is eighteen 97
126	139		years of age or older, excluding student employees, (15) any police 98
127	140		officer, (16) any juvenile or adult probation officer, (17) any juvenile or 99
128	141		adult parole officer, (18) any member of the clergy, (19) any pharmacist, 100
129	142		(20) any physical therapist, (21) any optometrist, (22) any chiropractor, 101
130	143		(23) any podiatrist, (24) any mental health professional, (25) any 102
131	144		physician assistant, (26) any person who is a licensed or certified 103
132	145		emergency medical services provider, (27) any person who is a licensed 104
133	146		or certified alcohol and drug counselor, (28) any person who is a 105
134	147		licensed marital and family therapist, (29) any person who is a sexual 106
135	148		assault counselor or a domestic violence counselor, as defined in section 107
136	149		52-146k, (30) any person who is a licensed professional counselor, (31) 108
137	150		any person who is a licensed foster parent, (32) any person paid to care 109
138	151		for a child in any public or private facility, child care center, group child 110
139	152		care home or family child care home licensed by the state, (33) any 111
140	153		employee of the Department of Children and Families or any person 112
	154	+	Raised Bill No. 6952
	155	+
	156	+
	157	+
	158	+	LCO No. 4687 5 of 6
	159	+
141	160		who, in the performance of such person's duties, has regular contact 113
142	161		with and provides services to or on behalf of children pursuant to a 114
143	162		contract with or credential issued by the Department of Children and 115
144	163		Families, (34) any employee of the Office of Early Childhood who is 116
145	164		responsible for the licensing of child care centers, group child care 117
146	165		homes, family child care homes or youth camps, (35) any paid youth 118
147		-	camp director, assistant director and staff member who is twenty-one 119 Substitute Bill No. 6952
148		-
149		-
150		-	LCO 5 of 8
151		-
	166	+	camp director, assistant director and staff member who is twenty-one 119
152	167		years of age or older, (36) any paid director, assistant director or staff 120
153	168		member of a municipal recreational or educational children's program, 121
154	169		as defined in section 2 of this act, who is twenty-one years of age or 122
155	170		older, (37) the Child Advocate and any employee of the Office of the 123
156	171		Child Advocate, [(37)] (38) any person who is a licensed behavior 124
157	172		analyst, [(38)] (39) any family relations counselor, family relations 125
158	173		counselor trainee or family services supervisor employed by the Judicial 126
159	174		Department, [(39)] (40) any victim services advocate employed by the 127
160	175		Office of Victim Services within the Judicial Department, [(40)] (41) any 128
161	176		employee of a juvenile justice program operated by or pursuant to a 129
162	177		contract with the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial 130
163	178		Department, and [(41)] (42) any person employed, including any person 131
164	179		employed under contract and any independent ombudsperson, to work 132
165	180		at a juvenile detention facility or any other facility where children under 133
166	181		eighteen years of age are detained and who has direct contact with 134
167	182		children as part of such employment. 135
168		-	Sec. 5. Section 17a-101b of the general statutes is repealed and the 136
169		-	following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 137
170		-	(a) An oral or electronic report shall be made by a mandated reporter 138
171		-	as soon as practicable but not later than twelve hours after the mandated 139
172		-	reporter has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that a child has been 140
173		-	abused or neglected or placed in imminent risk of serious harm. An oral 141
174		-	report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made by telephone or 142
175		-	in person to the Commissioner of Children and Families or a law 143
176		-	enforcement agency. If a law enforcement agency receives an oral 144
177		-	report, it shall immediately notify the commissioner. An electronic 145
178		-	report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in a manner 146
179		-	prescribed by the commissioner. A mandated reporter who makes an 147
180		-	electronic report pursuant to this section shall respond to further 148
181		-	inquiries from the commissioner or the commissioner's designee made 149
182		-	within twenty-four hours of such report. 150
183		-	(b) If the commissioner or the commissioner's designee suspects or 151
184		-	knows that such person has knowingly made a false report, the identity 152 Substitute Bill No. 6952
	183	+	Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) Not later than July 1, 2026, and 136
	184	+	annually thereafter, each paid director, assistant director or staff 137
	185	+	member of a municipal recreational or educational children's program, 138
	186	+	as defined in section 2 of this act, who is twenty-one years of age or 139
	187	+	older, shall complete the educational training program or refresher 140
	188	+	training program, as applicable, developed pursuant to subsection (c) of 141
	189	+	section 17a-101 of the general statutes. 142
	190	+	(b) Not later than August 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the director 143
	191	+	or equivalent employee of each municipal agency that operates a 144
	192	+	municipal recreational or educational children's program shall certify, 145
	193	+	Raised Bill No. 6952
185	194
186	195
187		-	LCO 6 of 8
188	196
189		-	of such person shall be disclosed to the appropriate law enforcement 153
190		-	agency and to the perpetrator of the alleged abuse. 154
191		-	(c) If the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the 155
192		-	commissioner's designee, receives a report alleging sexual abuse or 156
193		-	serious physical abuse, including, but not limited to, a report that: (1) A 157
194		-	child has died; (2) a child has been sexually assaulted; (3) a child has 158
195		-	suffered brain damage or loss or serious impairment of a bodily function 159
196		-	or organ; (4) a child has been sexually exploited; or (5) a child has 160
197		-	suffered serious nonaccidental physical injury, the commissioner shall, 161
198		-	within twelve hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law 162
199		-	enforcement agency. 163
200		-	(d) Whenever a mandated reporter, as described in section 17a-101, 164
201		-	as amended by this act, has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that 165
202		-	any child has been abused or neglected by a member of the staff of a 166
203		-	public or private institution or facility that provides care for such child 167
204		-	or a public or private school, the mandated reporter shall report as 168
205		-	required in subsection (a) of this section. The Commissioner of Children 169
206		-	and Families or the commissioner's designee shall notify the principal, 170
207		-	headmaster, executive director or other person in charge of such 171
208		-	institution, facility or school, or the person's designee, unless such 172
209		-	person is the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect of such child. In 173
210		-	the case of a public school, the commissioner shall also notify the 174
211		-	person's employing superintendent. Such person in charge, or such 175
212		-	person's designee, shall then immediately notify the child's parent or 176
213		-	other person responsible for the child's care that a report has been made. 177
214		-	(e) If a mandated reporter described in subdivision (36) of subsection 178
215		-	(b) of section 17a-101, as amended by this act, makes a report pursuant 179
216		-	to subsection (a) of this section concerning abuse or neglect of or 180
217		-	imminent risk of serious harm to a child that occurred on the premises 181
218		-	of a municipal recreational or educational children's program, as 182
219		-	defined in section 2 of this act, or during an activity conducted by such 183
220		-	program off-site from such premises, the Commissioner of Children and 184
221		-	Families shall notify the chief executive officer of the municipality in 185 Substitute Bill No. 6952
	197	+	LCO No. 4687 6 of 6
222	198
223		-
224		-	LCO 7 of 8
225		-
226		-	which such program is located. Such notice shall not include any 186
227		-	personally identifying information concerning the child that is the 187
228		-	subject of such report. 188
229		-	[(e)] (f) For purposes of this section, "child" includes any victim 189
230		-	described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 17a-101a. 190
231		-	Sec. 6. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) Not later than July 1, 2026, and 191
232		-	annually thereafter, each paid director, assistant director or staff 192
233		-	member of a municipal recreational or educational children's program, 193
234		-	as defined in section 2 of this act, who is twenty-one years of age or 194
235		-	older, shall complete the educational training program or refresher 195
236		-	training program, as applicable, developed pursuant to subsection (c) of 196
237		-	section 17a-101 of the general statutes. 197
238		-	(b) Not later than August 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the director 198
239		-	or equivalent employee of each municipal agency that operates a 199
240		-	municipal recreational or educational children's program shall certify, 200
241		-	in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Children and 201
242		-	Families, whether each paid director, assistant director and staff 202
243		-	member of such program who is twenty-one years of age or older 203
244		-	complied with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section in the 204
245		-	preceding twelve-month period. 205
	199	+	in a form and manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Children and 146
	200	+	Families, that each paid director, assistant director and staff member of 147
	201	+	such program who is twenty-one years of age or older complied with 148
	202	+	the provisions of subsection (a) of this section in the preceding twelve-149
	203	+	month period. 150
246	204		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
247	205		sections:
248	206
249	207		Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
250	208		Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 New section
251	209		Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 New section
252	210		Sec. 4 July 1, 2025 17a-101(b)
253		-	Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 17a-101b
254		-	Sec. 6 July 1, 2025 New section
	211	+	Sec. 5 July 1, 2025 New section
255	212
256		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
257		-	In Section 1(b), "from" was changed to "issued by" for consistency with
258		-	the general statutes, in Section 2(d), "recreational or educational
259		-	children's program" was changed to "municipal recreational or Substitute Bill No. 6952
	213	+	Statement of Purpose:
	214	+	To (1) prohibit certain recreational or educational children's programs
	215	+	from using the term "camp" in advertising materials, (2) require certain
	216	+	employees of municipal recreational or educational children's programs
	217	+	to submit to comprehensive background checks, (3) require municipal
	218	+	recreational or educational children's programs to maintain certain
	219	+	staffing ratios and employ staff persons trained in cardiopulmonary
	220	+	resuscitation and first aid, and (4) require certain employees of
	221	+	municipal recreational or educational children's programs to serve as
	222	+	mandated reporters and complete related training.
260	223
261		-
262		-	LCO 8 of 8
263		-
264		-	educational children's program" and "is eighteen years of age or older
265		-	and" was inserted for consistency, and in Section 6(b), "that each paid
266		-	director" was changed to "whether each paid director" for clarity.
267		-
268		-	KID Joint Favorable Subst.
	224	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	225	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	226	+	underlined.]
269	227