Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mandatory Reporting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee considers SJ31 on mandatory reporting; motion to concur fails and item tabled
Summary
Senate Joint Resolution 31, proposing an interim study of mandatory child-abuse reporting practices and reporter training, failed a concurrence vote and was tabled after members raised concerns about central intake and duplicative study work.
Senate Joint Resolution 31, which would examine mandatory child-abuse reporting and explore whether uniform training for mandatory reporters could help distinguish when to support families and when to report, was presented to the House Human Services Committee and ultimately tabled.
Senator Lentz described SJ31 as a look at differences in mandatory reporting across jurisdictions and noted the bill asks the committee to explore consistent training for reporters. Nikki Grossberg, Division Administrator for Child and Family Services, testified as an informational witness and said a study could help the child-welfare system allocate resources differently across agencies.
Representative discussion focused on central intake and the breadth of mandatory reporting, with Vice Chair Howell expressing concern that the central intake process was intended to narrow an intentionally wide reporting net. In executive action, Vice Chair Howell moved to concur in SJ31. The roll call recorded 10 ayes and 11 nays and the motion failed; the committee then tabled the resolution.
