NY State Senate Bill 2015-S5649

Senate Bill S5649

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Requires completion of annual training by persons and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or maltreatment

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Apr 12, 2016	reported and committed to finance
Jan 06, 2016	referred to children and families
May 21, 2015	referred to children and families

Votes

- Apr 12, 2016 - Children And Families Committee Vote
  S5649
  
  6
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Children And Families Committee Vote: Apr 12, 2016
      
      aye (6)
      
      Avella
      
      Bonacic
      
      Montgomery
      
      Persaud
      
      Savino
      
      Young
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Serino

2015-S5649 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Add §413-a, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S836
2019-2020: S1041, S4760

2015-S5649 (ACTIVE) - Summary

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.

2015-S5649 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S5649                Revised 02/23/16

 TITLE OF BILL :

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

 PURPOSE :

The purpose of this bill is to ensure that persons who are required to
report suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment remain current
on appropriate training and that a record of completion of such
training is maintained.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Accurate and timely reporting of suspected cases of child abuse or
maltreatment is an essential element of protecting New York State's
most vulnerable population. Mandatory reporters are often on the front
lines in identifying instances where a child may be the victim of
abuse or maltreatment. These mandatory reporters play a vital role in
the protection of potential victims because they are often the first
to alert a child protective service or law enforcement agency of
potential abuse or maltreatment.

The certification course required in this legislation takes two hours
to complete, but users have the ability to complete the required two
hours over a thirty day period. Once completed, proof of such
completion should be submitted either in printed or electronic form to
the individual's employer. If they are self employed, the individual
must maintain their own record of completion. In both instances, the
record must be producible to any employee of the office of children
and family services, child protective agency, or law enforcement
officer engaged in the investigation of suspected child abuse or
maltreatment.

The course is available at www.nysmandatedreporter.org, a site that is
sponsored by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services
through an agreement with the State University of New York Buffalo
State Center for Development of Human Services Institute for Community
Health Promotion.

Completion of this course does not constitute any burden on mandatory
reporters given the course is free, available on the internet, and
easily accessible from any internet-connected computer. It is not
time-consuming to complete, as progress is saved at the completion of
each section, allowing individuals to complete the course at their own
pace over thirty days. Taking this refresher course will help to
ensure that every individual whose position is recognized as a
mandatory reporter of suspected child abuse or maltreatment has been
recently refreshed on reporting procedures and abuse or maltreatment
indicators.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

New Bill.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately, except that subdivisions 2 and
3 of section 413-a of the social services law, as added by section two
of this act, shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become law.

2015-S5649 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  5649

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                              May 21, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  YOUNG  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families

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:

  Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby  finds  that  in
order  to  better  protect  the  state's most vulnerable population, the
persons and officials who are required  to  report  cases  of  suspected
child  abuse  or  maltreatment  would be better served to be required to
take a free, annual electronically-provided, self-directed online train-
ing course to refresh such persons and officials on the signs and  indi-
cators of suspected child abuse or maltreatment.
  Accurate and timely reporting of child abuse or maltreatment is essen-
tial to ensure cases are appropriately addressed and investigated by the
appropriate  agencies.  Timely  and  thoroughly  investigated reports of
child abuse or maltreatment are necessary in  order  to  prevent  future
abuse or maltreatment while also holding accountable the parties respon-
sible for such abuse or maltreatment and to remove children from danger-
ous situations.
  By completing this type of training course annually, persons and offi-
cials  who  are  required  to  report  cases of suspected child abuse or
maltreatment will be able to stay current with all  of  the  information
necessary  to  ensure that they are best able to identify signs of child
abuse or maltreatment, as well as current reporting procedures  and  any
potential changes in reporting requirements.
  S  2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 413-a
to read as follows:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD11308-01-5

S. 5649                             2

  S 413-A. MANDATORY  ANNUAL  CHILD  ABUSE  AND  MALTREATMENT  REPORTING
TRAINING.  1.  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF  CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES SHALL
ESTABLISH A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION AND MAY APPROVE COURSES OF INSTRUCTION
OFFERED BY THIRD PARTIES FOR PERSONS AND OFFICIALS  REQUIRED  TO  REPORT
CASES OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR
HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF THIS TITLE. SUCH COURSES SHALL PROVIDE SUCH TRAINING
ON  THE  IDENTIFICATION  AND  REPORTING  OF  CHILD ABUSE OR MALTREATMENT
PURSUANT TO THIS TITLE AS SUCH COMMISSIONER SHALL DEEM TO BE  NECESSARY.
EACH COURSE OF INSTRUCTION SHALL BE PROVIDED FREE OF CHARGE VIA LINKS ON
THE  WEBSITE  OPERATED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES AND
SHALL BE APPROXIMATELY TWO HOURS IN DURATION. FURTHERMORE,  THE  COMMIS-
SIONER  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY SERVICES SHALL ESTABLISH A METHODOLOGY
WHICH PROVIDES PROOF THAT A PERSON HAS COMPLETED SUCH COURSE OF INSTRUC-
TION.
  2. EVERY PERSON AND OFFICIAL REQUIRED TO  REPORT  CASES  OF  SUSPECTED
CHILD ABUSE OR MALTREATMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION FOUR HUNDRED THIRTEEN OF
THIS  TITLE  SHALL  EACH  CALENDAR YEAR COMPLETE A COURSE OF INSTRUCTION
ESTABLISHED OR APPROVED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION  ONE  OF  THIS  SECTION.
UPON  EACH  COMPLETION  OF  SUCH  A COURSE, THE PERSON OR OFFICIAL SHALL
PROVIDE PROOF OF COMPLETION TO THE EMPLOYER OF SUCH PERSON OR  OFFICIAL,
UNLESS  THE  PERSON IS SELF-EMPLOYED, THEN HE OR SHE SHALL RETAIN A COPY
OF SUCH PROOF.
  3. EVERY PERSON AND EMPLOYER RECEIVING A PROOF  OF  COURSE  COMPLETION
PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL MAINTAIN A COPY THEREOF, IN EITHER PRINT-
ED  OR  ELECTRONIC FORM, FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS, AND SHALL MAKE SUCH
COPY AVAILABLE TO ANY EMPLOYEE OF THE  OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY
SERVICES  OR CHILD PROTECTIVE AGENCY, OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ENGAGED
IN THE INVESTIGATION OF SUSPECTED CHILD ABUSE OR MALTREATMENT.
  S 3. This act shall take effect immediately, except that  subdivisions
2 and 3 of section 413-a of the social services law, as added by section
two of this act, shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.

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