2018 -- S 2353

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LC004606

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN -- DUTY

TO REPORT

     

     Introduced By: Senators Goodwin, Ruggerio, Metts, Ciccone, and Quezada

     Date Introduced: February 15, 2018

     Referred To: Senate Education

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 40-11-3.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 40-11 entitled "Abused

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and Neglected Children" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     40-11-3.3. Duty to report -- Sexual abuse of a child in an educational program.

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     (a) Any person who has reasonable cause to know or suspect that any child has been the

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victim of sexual abuse by an employee, agent, contractor, or volunteer of an educational program

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as defined in § 40-11-2 shall, within twenty-four (24) hours, transfer that information to the

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department of children, youth and families, or its agent,; provided, however, that if the person

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mandated to report is an employee, agent, contractor or volunteer of an educational program as

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defined in § 40-11-2, they shall immediately notify the principal, headmaster, executive director,

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or other person in charge of the educational program, or their designated agent. The principal,

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headmaster, executive director, or other person in charge of the educational program, or their

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designated agent, shall be responsible for all subsequent notification to the department of

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children, youth and families, or its agent in the manner required by this section. In the case of a

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public educational program, the principal, headmaster, executive director, or other person in

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charge of the educational program, or their designated agent, shall also notify the superintendent

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of the public educational program. Any transferred information shall include the name, title, and

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contact information for every employee, agent, contractor or volunteer of the educational program

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who is believed to have direct knowledge of the allegation. Nothing in this section is intended to

 

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require more than one report from any educational program for a specific incident.

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     (b) In order to provide guidance and consistency in reporting, the commissioner of

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elementary and secondary education shall promulgate policies and procedures for the creation and

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handling of reports made by the principal, headmaster, executive director, or other person in

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charge of the educational program, or their designated agent in order to carry out the intent of this

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section.

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     (c) The department of children, youth and families, or its agent who or which shall

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immediately forward the report to state police and local law enforcement, and shall initiate an

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investigation of the allegations of sexual abuse if it determines that the report meets the criteria

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for a child protective services investigation. As a result of those reports and referrals, the

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department shall refer those children to appropriate services and support systems in order to

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provide for their health and welfare. In the event the department substantiates the allegations of

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sexual abuse against an employee, agent, contractor, or volunteer of an educational program, the

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department shall immediately notify the state police; local law-enforcement agency; the

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department of education; the educational program; the person who is the subject of the

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investigation; and the parent, or parents, of the child who is alleged to be the victim of the sexual

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abuse of the department's findings.

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      (b)(d) The director of the department of children, youth and families is authorized to

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promulgate rules and regulations pertaining to the investigation of the allegation of sexual abuse

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in order to carry out the intent of this section.

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     (e) For purposes of this section, "reasonable cause to know or suspect" means that it is

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objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a suspicion, based upon facts that could cause a

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reasonable person in a like position, drawing, when appropriate, on their training and experience,

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to suspect child abuse. "Reasonable cause to know or suspect" does not require certainty that

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child sexual abuse has occurred nor does it require a specific medical indication of child sexual

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abuse; any "reasonable cause to know or suspect" is sufficient.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES -- ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN -- DUTY

TO REPORT

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     This act would require representatives of educational programs to notify their leadership

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of all reports of sexual abuse who shall notify the department of children, youth and families and

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the school superintendent. It would also require the commissioner of elementary and secondary

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education and the director of the department of children, youth and families to adopt rules to

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orderly and completely implement this sexual abuse complaint reporting process.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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