BILL NUMBER:S7210

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the family court act, in relation to
authorizing family courts to order the local commissioner of social
services to notify a respondent's employer upon the disposition of a
child protective proceeding when such respondent has contact with
children in the course of his or her employment

PURPOSE:

To protect children in settings where they may be exposed to persons
who have been found to have abused or neglected children.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends paragraph (vi) of subdivision (a) of section 1052 of
the family court act, to allow the Family Court, as an option, to
inform employers of a court decision in instances where the employee,
the respondent in the case, has contact with children through their
employment.

Section 2 is the enacting clause.

JUSTIFICATION:

Under current law, employers check the state central registry
              

regarding new employees where the employment will mean contact with
children-such as day care facilities and schools. However, there is no
mechanism for employers who have already hired such an employee to be
made aware that the person has been found by a court to have abused or
neglected a child.

This bill would allow, as an option, the court to order a commissioner
to advise an employer that an employee had been judged by a court to
have abused or neglected a child in their care. Under existing law,
schools, day care facilities and the like have no way of knowing if an
employee may have abused a child after they were hired-and departments
of social services are not legally permitted to advise these employers
about such individuals.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Undetermined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.