Ranzenhofer Announces Senate Passage of Bill to Protect Students From Sexual Abuse

Albany, NY- The New York State Senate has passed legislation (S.7372B) to expand the types of educational settings required to report child abuse and increases the professions required to receive training to identify and report abuse.  

Under current education law, private schools are not included in requirements to report child abuse in an educational setting, potentially putting students attending private schools at a greater risk. This new bill requires allegations of abuse at private schools, as well as charter schools, state-supported and state-operated schools, Special Act School Districts, and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), be reported directly to law enforcement.

The bill is co-sponsored by Senator Michael H. Ranzenhofer.

“This loophole in state education law must be closed. No school should be excluded from child abuse reporting requirements. I am pleased that the legislation is advancing with passage today in the State Senate,” said Ranzenhofer.

It also expands the responsibility for reporting abuse allegations to include therapists, speech-language pathologists, teacher aides, school resource officers and any employee who contracts with a school to provide transportation to children. The legislation further amends education law to require that all teachers and administrators employed by a private or charter school to complete two hours of training regarding the identification and reporting of child abuse.

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