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Panel hears bill to add elected officials to mandatory‑reporter rules
Summary
Sponsors told the Public Safety Committee House Bill 371 would explicitly make elected officials mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect, retain existing reporting structure and penalties, and prompt discussion about training, jurisdictional routing of reports and possible resource impacts on child protective services.
House Bill 3 71, introduced by Representatives Young and Plummer, received its first hearing before the Public Safety Committee. Sponsors said the bill would explicitly add elected officials to the defined class of mandated reporters — the same group that includes teachers, health care professionals and foster caregivers — and would keep the existing reporting framework and civil liability provisions.
Representative Young told the committee HB 371 "retains the structure of reporting, destination, investigation, notice rules, and civil liability," and said the bill applies the duties to elected officials as defined in state law. Representative Plummer described constituents who first tell township trustees or council members about suspected abuse and said those officials sometimes do not report to law enforcement. "I believe that elected officials should be held to a higher standard," Plummer said.
Committee members pressed sponsors on operational details. Representative Brent asked what technically constitutes a report; sponsors described a common pattern where an intermediary informs an elected official who then contacts law enforcement discreetly. Representative Brent also asked whether the bill preserves existing criminal penalties; an analysis cited in the hearing notes the current law can impose a fourth‑degree misdemeanor with possible jail time and fines up to $250 for failing to report. Representative Plummer said the sponsors intended to retain penalties but agreed to review the analysis (which another member said appeared to say elected officials were excluded from criminal penalties) and to check draft language with Legislative Service Commission staff.
Members also discussed training for elected officials so they understand what is reportable and where to send reports, jurisdictional routing (public children service agencies or the county peace officer where the child resides), and the risk of overloading child protective services if reporting increased. Sponsors said they planned further consultations with prosecutors and protective services and that other legislation being considered might address resourcing concerns. The chair closed the first hearing with no committee vote recorded.
