Bill Text: NY S01041 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Requires completion of annual training by persons and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or maltreatment; such training shall be offered online free of charge and address the identification and reporting of child abuse and maltreatment.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-03-19 - RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN [S01041 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S01041-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          1041
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    January 10, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  YOUNG  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
        AN ACT to amend the  social  services  law,  in  relation  to  requiring
          persons  and  officials  who are required to report cases of suspected
          child abuse or maltreatment to complete annual  training  relating  to
          identifying and reporting such abuse and maltreatment
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby  finds  that  in
     2  order  to  better  protect  the  state's most vulnerable population, the
     3  persons and officials who are required  to  report  cases  of  suspected
     4  child  abuse  or  maltreatment  would be better served to be required to
     5  take a free, annual electronically-provided, self-directed online train-
     6  ing course to refresh such persons and officials on the signs and  indi-
     7  cators of suspected child abuse or maltreatment.
     8    Accurate and timely reporting of child abuse or maltreatment is essen-
     9  tial to ensure cases are appropriately addressed and investigated by the
    10  appropriate  agencies.  Timely  and  thoroughly  investigated reports of
    11  child abuse or maltreatment are necessary in  order  to  prevent  future
    12  abuse or maltreatment while also holding accountable the parties respon-
    13  sible for such abuse or maltreatment and to remove children from danger-
    14  ous situations.
    15    By completing this type of training course annually, persons and offi-
    16  cials  who  are  required  to  report  cases of suspected child abuse or
    17  maltreatment will be able to stay current with all  of  the  information
    18  necessary  to  ensure that they are best able to identify signs of child
    19  abuse or maltreatment, as well as current reporting procedures  and  any
    20  potential changes in reporting requirements.
    21    §  2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 413-a
    22  to read as follows:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03944-01-9

        S. 1041                             2
     1    § 413-a. Mandatory  annual  child  abuse  and  maltreatment  reporting
     2  training.  1.  The  commissioner  of  children and family services shall
     3  establish a course of instruction and may approve courses of instruction
     4  offered by third parties for persons and officials  required  to  report
     5  cases of suspected child abuse and maltreatment pursuant to section four
     6  hundred thirteen of this title. Such courses shall provide such training
     7  on  the  identification  and  reporting  of  child abuse or maltreatment
     8  pursuant to this title as such commissioner shall deem to be  necessary.
     9  Each course of instruction shall be provided free of charge via links on
    10  the  website  operated by the office of children and family services and
    11  shall be approximately two hours in duration. Furthermore,  the  commis-
    12  sioner  of  children  and  family services shall establish a methodology
    13  which provides proof that a person has completed such course of instruc-
    14  tion.
    15    2. Every person and official required to  report  cases  of  suspected
    16  child abuse or maltreatment pursuant to section four hundred thirteen of
    17  this  title  shall  each  calendar year complete a course of instruction
    18  established or approved pursuant to subdivision  one  of  this  section.
    19  Upon  each  completion  of  such  a course, the person or official shall
    20  provide proof of completion to the employer of such person or  official,
    21  unless  the  person is self-employed, then he or she shall retain a copy
    22  of such proof.
    23    3. Every person and employer receiving a proof  of  course  completion
    24  pursuant to this section shall maintain a copy thereof, in either print-
    25  ed  or  electronic form, for a period of five years, and shall make such
    26  copy available to any employee of the  office  of  children  and  family
    27  services  or child protective agency, or law enforcement officer engaged
    28  in the investigation of suspected child abuse or maltreatment.
    29    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately, except that  subdivisions
    30  2 and 3 of section 413-a of the social services law, as added by section
    31  two of this act, shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
    32  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
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