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Sponsors
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History
- Referred to children and families
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 52–9
- Ordered to third reading cal.1003
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Reported and committed to codes
- Referred to children and families
- Print number 4691a
- Amend and recommit to children and families
- Referred to children and families
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to mandating the recording of calls made to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to require the recording of calls to the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment made by persons required by law to report child abuse and maltreatment.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one creates a new paragraph (e) of subdivision 2 of section 422 of the Social Services Law to require that the office of children and family services (OCFS) record all calls made by mandated reporters to the child abuse hotline. Further, it provides that the retention of calls accepted should be maintained for the length of time required by current law. Also, it provides that calls not accepted as a report be recorded and retained for a period of five years. This bill stipulates that all recordings made pursuant to this act shall be confidential and for the purposes of quality assurance and child safety; provided, however, that recording or recordings may be made available via judicial subpoena based upon the judicial determination that such recording is necessary evidence in a criminal proceeding concerning a false allegation of child abuse and maltreatment.
Effects of present law which this bill would alter
§422 (2) of the Social Services law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e).
Justification
This bill aims to better protect children by amending social services law to require that calls made by mandated reporters be recorded and retained by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) for specific time Periods. Mandated reporters constitute a first line of defense against child abuse and maltreatment. Intervention is only possible after identification of abuse and/or maltreatment and it is important that those identifications are as accurate as possible. In 2006, there were 365,000 calls to the SCR, of which 157,407 were registered. Of those calls registered, 61% (96,684) were made by mandated reporters. The bill limits the recording of calls to the SCR by mandated reporters in attempt to see how implementation of this policy change will enhance the safety of children. Once the issues or recording and retention are addressed, the state should look to record all calls made to the SCR. Currently, 14 other states record calls to a child abuse hotline.
Prior legislative history
2008: A4137 A (Scarborough) referred to children and families; reported and referred to codes 2007: A4137 (Scarborough) amended and advanced to third reading (Cal. 689) 2006: 11152A passed Assembly and delivered to Senate
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
First day of April next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.