Assembly Bill A4548

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4548
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 4, 2025
                                ___________
 
 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 chapter 733 of the laws of 2023, 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;
 athletic trainer; psychologist; registered nurse; social  worker;  emer-
 gency  medical  technician;  licensed  creative arts therapist; licensed
 marriage  and  family  therapist;  licensed  mental  health   counselor;
 licensed  psychoanalyst;  licensed  behavior analyst; certified behavior
 analyst assistant; hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examina-
 tion, care or treatment of persons; a  Christian  Science  practitioner;
 school  official,  which  includes but is not limited to school teacher,
 school guidance counselor, school psychologist,  school  social  worker,

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08040-01-5
              

 A. 4548                             2
 
 school nurse, school 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  professional  coaching certificate; social services worker;
 employee of a publicly-funded emergency shelter for families with  chil-
 dren;  director of a children's overnight camp, summer day camp or trav-
 eling 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 employees 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-n to read as follows:
   § 1266-N. 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; provided, however that if chapter 733 of the
 laws  of  2023  shall  not have taken effect on or before such date then
 section one of this act shall take effect on the same date  and  in  the
 same manner as such chapter of the laws of 2023, takes effect.