S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6741
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 8, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CUNNINGHAM  -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law and the public authorities  law,
   in  relation  to  requiring the mandatory reporting of suspected child
   abuse or maltreatment by certain employees of the metropolitan  trans-
   portation authority

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 413 of the social
 services law, as amended by section 7 of part C of  chapter  57  of  the
 laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
   (a)  The  following  persons  and  officials are required to report or
 cause a report to be made in accordance with this title when  they  have
 reasonable  cause  to  suspect  that a child coming before them in their
 professional or official capacity is an abused or maltreated  child,  or
 when  they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or
 maltreated child where the parent, guardian, custodian or  other  person
 legally  responsible  for  such child comes before them in their profes-
 sional or official capacity and states from  personal  knowledge  facts,
 conditions or circumstances which, if correct, would render the child an
 abused  or maltreated child: any physician; registered physician assist-
 ant; surgeon; medical  examiner;  coroner;  dentist;  dental  hygienist;
 osteopath;  optometrist;  chiropractor;  podiatrist;  resident;  intern;
 psychologist; registered nurse; social worker; emergency medical techni-
 cian; licensed creative arts therapist;  licensed  marriage  and  family
 therapist;  licensed  mental  health  counselor; licensed psychoanalyst;
 licensed behavior analyst; certified behavior analyst assistant;  hospi-
 tal  personnel  engaged in the admission, examination, care or treatment
 of persons; a Christian Science  practitioner;  school  official,  which
 includes  but  is not limited to school teacher, school guidance counse-
 lor, school psychologist, school social  worker,  school  nurse,  school
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10754-01-3
              

 A. 6741                             2
 
 administrator  or  other school personnel required to hold a teaching or
 administrative license or certificate;  full  or  part-time  compensated
 school employee required to hold a temporary coaching license or profes-
 sional coaching certificate; social services worker; employee of a publ-
 icly-funded  emergency shelter for families with children; director of a
 children's overnight camp, summer day camp or traveling summer day camp,
 as such camps are defined in section thirteen hundred ninety-two of  the
 public health law; day care center worker; school-age child care worker;
 provider  of family or group family day care; employee or volunteer in a
 residential care facility for children that is  licensed,  certified  or
 operated  by  the  office  of children and family services; or any other
 child care or foster care worker; mental health professional;  substance
 abuse  counselor;  alcoholism counselor; all persons credentialed by the
 office of alcoholism and substance abuse services;  employees,  who  are
 expected  to  have  regular  and substantial contact with children, of a
 health home or health home care management  agency  contracting  with  a
 health  home  as  designated  by the department of health and authorized
 under section three hundred sixty-five-l of this chapter or such employ-
 ees who provide home and community based services under a  demonstration
 program pursuant to section eleven hundred fifteen of the federal social
 security  act  who  are expected to have regular and substantial contact
 with children; peace  officer;  police  officer;  district  attorney  or
 assistant  district  attorney;  investigator employed in the office of a
 district attorney; or other law enforcement official; OR  ANY  EMPLOYEES
 OF  THE  METROPOLITAN  TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY WHO ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE
 REGULAR CONTACT WITH CHILDREN.
   § 2. The public authorities law is amended by  adding  a  new  section
 1266-m to read as follows:
   §  1266-M. TRAINING IN THE REPORTING OF SUSPECTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE
 AND MALTREATMENT. 1. EVERY EMPLOYEE OF THE AUTHORITY REQUIRED TO  REPORT
 CHILD ABUSE OR MALTREATMENT, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION FOUR
 HUNDRED  THIRTEEN OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, SHALL, PRIOR TO ASSUMPTION
 OF THE POSITION WHICH REQUIRES SUCH REPORTING,  COMPLETE  TWO  HOURS  OF
 COURSEWORK  OR  TRAINING  REGARDING  THE IDENTIFICATION AND REPORTING OF
 CHILD ABUSE AND MALTREATMENT; PROVIDED THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE HOLDING  SUCH
 A  POSITION  ON  OR  BEFORE  THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE  OF THIS SECTION SHALL
 COMPLETE SUCH COURSEWORK OR TRAINING WITHIN ONE YEAR  OF  THE  EFFECTIVE
 DATE  OF  THIS SECTION. EMPLOYEES SHALL COMPLETE TWO HOURS OF SUBSEQUENT
 COURSEWORK OR TRAINING NOT LESS THAN ONCE EVERY TWO YEARS.
   2. THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY  SERVICES  SHALL  APPROVE  AND/OR
 ESTABLISH   THE  COURSEWORK  AND  TRAINING  REQUIRED  TO  IMPLEMENT  THE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. SUCH COURSEWORK AND TRAINING MAY  BE  DEVEL-
 OPED  SO THAT IT CAN BE OFFERED THROUGH VARIOUS MEANS INCLUDING, BUT NOT
 LIMITED TO, INTERNET-BASED COURSES AND TELECONFERENCES.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
 it shall have become a law.