Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. The first sentence of the first paragraph of section 51A of chapter 119 of the General Laws, as amended by chapter 209 of the acts of 1985, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word "worker", in line 6, the following words:- or any person paid to care for or work with a child in any public or private facility, or home or program funded by the commonwealth or licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter twenty-eight A, which provides day care or residential services to children.

SECTION 2. Said section 51A of said chapter 119 is hereby further amended by inserting after the fourth paragraph the following paragraph:-

No employer of those persons required to report pursuant to this section shall discharge, or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against, any person who in good faith makes such a report, testifies or is about to testify in any proceeding involving child abuse or neglect. Any such employer who discharges, discriminates or retaliates against such a person shall be liable to such person for treble damages, costs and attorney's fees.