HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1579        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1532

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act requiring certain municipal inspectors to report cases of child abuse..

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 paragraph of section 51A of chapter 119 of the General Laws is hereby further amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:—

Any physician, medical intern, hospital personnel engaged in the examination, care or treatment of persons, medical examiner, psychologist, emergency medical technician, dentist, nurse, chiropractor, podiatrist, optometrist, osteopath, public or private school teacher, educational administrator, guidance or family counselor, day care worker 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 28A, which provides day care or residential services to children or which provides the services of child care resource and referral agencies, voucher management agencies, family day care systems and childcare food programs, probation officer, clerk/magistrate of the district courts, parole officer, social worker, foster parent, firefighter or policeman, building inspector, board of health inspector, lead paint inspector, office for children licensor, school attendance officer, allied mental health and human services professional as licensed pursuant to the provisions of section 165 of chapter 112, drug and alcoholism counselor, psychiatrist, and clinical social worker, who, in his professional capacity shall have reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 years is suffering physical or emotional injury resulting from abuse inflected upon him which causes harm or substantial risk of harm to the child’s health or welfare including sexual abuse, or from neglect, including malnutrition, or who is determined to be physically dependent upon an addictive drug at birth, shall immediately report such condition to the department by oral communication and by making a written report within 48 hours after such oral communication; provided, however, that whenever such person so required to report is a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school or facility, he shall immediately either notify the department or notify the person in charge of such institution, school or facility, or that person’s designated agent, whereupon such person in charge or his said agent shall then become responsible to make the report in the manner required by this section.