AN ACT RELATIVE TO CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND WELLNESS
SECTION 12. (a) There shall be a special commission to review and report on existing mandated reporter laws and regulations and make recommendations on how to improve the response to, and prevention of, child abuse and neglect. The report shall include, but not be limited to, findings and recommendations on: (i) the scope of mandated reporter laws and regulations including, but not limited to, persons included in the mandated reporter definition; (ii) mandated reporter training requirements for employees, including employees of licensees or contracted organizations; and (iii) accountability and oversight of the mandated reporter system including, but not limited to, procedures for a mandated reporter to notify the person or designated agent in charge and responses to reports of intimidation and retaliation against mandated reporters.
(b) The commission shall consist of the following 13 members: the child advocate, who shall serve as chair; the secretary of health and human services or a designee; the secretary of education or a designee; the secretary of public safety and security or a designee; the attorney general or a designee; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or a designee; the commissioner of early education and care or a designee; the commissioner of children and families or a designee; the commissioner of the division of professional licensure or a designee; the chief counsel of the committee for public counsel services or a designee; a representative of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association or a designee; and 2 members to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative of a labor union representing healthcare employees subject to mandated reporter laws and 1 of whom shall be a representative of a labor union representing non-healthcare employees subject to mandated reporter laws. The commission may consider input from any relevant organization.
(c) The commission shall review: (i) the agencies and employers responsible for training mandated reporters; (ii) the frequency, scope and effectiveness of mandated reporter training and continuing education including, but not limited to, whether such training and continuing education covers retaliation protections for filing a report as a mandated reporter and the fines and penalties for failure to report under section 51A of chapter 119 of the General Laws; (iii) whether agencies and employers follow best practices for mandated reporter training, including profession-specific training for recognizing the signs of child sexual abuse and physical and emotional abuse and neglect; (iv) the process for notifying mandated reporters of changes to mandated reporter laws and regulations; (v) the department of children and families’ responses to written reports filed under said section 51A of said chapter 119, including offenses that require a referral to the district attorney; (vi) the feasibility of developing an automated, unified and confidential tracking system for all reports filed under said section 51A of said chapter 119; (vii) protocols related to filing a report under said section 51A of said chapter 119, including the notification of the person or designated agent in charge and the submission of required documentation; (viii) the availability of information at schools regarding the protocols for filing a report under said section 51A of said chapter 119; (ix) options for the development of public service announcements to ensure the safety and well-being of children; (x) proposals to revise the definition of child abuse and neglect to ensure a standard definition among state agencies; (xi) proposals to expand mandated reporting requirements under sections 51A to 51F, inclusive, of said chapter 119; and (xii) options for designating an agency responsible for overseeing the mandated reporter system or aspects thereof, including developing and monitoring training requirements for employees on mandated reporter laws and regulations and responding to reports of intimidation and retaliation.
(d) The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry those recommendations into effect, with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities not later than July 31, 2020.