Budget Amendment ID: FY2018-S3-3

OTH 3

Expanding the Mandated Reporter Definition

Messrs. Tarr, O'Connor and Ross and Ms. Lovely moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after section __ the following new section:-

“SECTION __. Section 21 of chapter 119 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking, in line 74, the words “or (vi) the child advocate” and inserting in place thereof the following:- “(vi) any public or private school employee; (vii) any person who cares for or works with a child in any public or private child care facility; (viii) all employees of the commonwealth; (viii) all volunteers who regularly work with children as part of a team or organization such as volunteer youth sports coaches, church volunteers, park and recreation, library, scouting, boys or girls clubs, Young Men’s Christian Association, and any other person in the commonwealth who works in a youth organization or has contact with children; (ix) persons contracted for landscaping by a public or private school; or (x) the child advocate. No person under the age of 18 shall be classified as a mandated reporter.

Section __. Section 51A of said chapter 119 is hereby amended by adding, after subsection (k), the following new subsection:-

(l) All designated mandated reporters in the commonwealth shall be required to take child sexual abuse training as determined by the office of the child advocate and the interagency child welfare task force established by section 215 of chapter 6.”