WITHDRAWN 3/5/04

6220-S2 AMH QUAL FORR 119

2SSB 6220 - H AMD

By Representative Quall

   On page 1, strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

   "NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.400 RCW to read as follows:

   (1) A school employee who has knowledge of or believes that a student has been a victim of physical abuse or sexual misconduct by another school employee, shall report such abuse or misconduct to the appropriate school administrator. The school administrator shall cause a report to be made to the proper law enforcement agency if he or she has reasonable cause to believe that the misconduct or abuse has occurred as required under RCW 26.44.030.

   (2) School employees shall receive training regarding their reporting obligations under state law in their orientation training when hired and then every three year thereafter. The training required under this subsection shall take place within existing training programs and related resources.

   (3) Nothing in this section changes any of the duties established under RCW 26.44.030."

EFFECT: Instead of adding a new section to the education code referencing existing mandatory reporting duties for suspected child abuse and neglect, the new section requires school employees to report to a school administrator if they have knowledge of or believe that a student has been the victim of physical abuse or sexual misconduct by another school employee. Language is added to require a school administrator to cause a report of the allegations consistent with the administrator's mandatory reporting duties for suspected child abuse or neglect. The training requirements for school employees is unchanged, and clarification is made that nothing in the current child abuse reporting statute is changed.