Article 2.5. Child Abuse And Neglect Reporting Act of California Penal Code >> Title 1. >> Part 4. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 2.5.
(a) This article shall be known and may be cited as the
Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act.
(b) The intent and purpose of this article is to protect children
from abuse and neglect. In any investigation of suspected child abuse
or neglect, all persons participating in the investigation of the
case shall consider the needs of the child victim and shall do
whatever is necessary to prevent psychological harm to the child
victim.
As used in this article "child" means a person under the age
of 18 years.
As used in this article, "sexual abuse" means sexual
assault or sexual exploitation as defined by the following:
(a) "Sexual assault" means conduct in violation of one or more of
the following sections: Section 261 (rape), subdivision (d) of
Section 261.5 (statutory rape), Section 264.1 (rape in concert),
Section 285 (incest), Section 286 (sodomy), subdivision (a) or (b),
or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section 288 (lewd or
lascivious acts upon a child), Section 288a (oral copulation),
Section 289 (sexual penetration), or Section 647.6 (child
molestation).
(b) Conduct described as "sexual assault" includes, but is not
limited to, all of the following:
(1) Penetration, however slight, of the vagina or anal opening of
one person by the penis of another person, whether or not there is
the emission of semen.
(2) Sexual contact between the genitals or anal opening of one
person and the mouth or tongue of another person.
(3) Intrusion by one person into the genitals or anal opening of
another person, including the use of an object for this purpose,
except that, it does not include acts performed for a valid medical
purpose.
(4) The intentional touching of the genitals or intimate parts,
including the breasts, genital area, groin, inner thighs, and
buttocks, or the clothing covering them, of a child, or of the
perpetrator by a child, for purposes of sexual arousal or
gratification, except that it does not include acts which may
reasonably be construed to be normal caretaker responsibilities;
interactions with, or demonstrations of affection for, the child; or
acts performed for a valid medical purpose.
(5) The intentional masturbation of the perpetrator's genitals in
the presence of a child.
(c) "Sexual exploitation" refers to any of the following:
(1) Conduct involving matter depicting a minor engaged in obscene
acts in violation of Section 311.2 (preparing, selling, or
distributing obscene matter) or subdivision (a) of Section 311.4
(employment of minor to perform obscene acts).
(2) A person who knowingly promotes, aids, or assists, employs,
uses, persuades, induces, or coerces a child, or a person responsible
for a child's welfare, who knowingly permits or encourages a child
to engage in, or assist others to engage in, prostitution or a live
performance involving obscene sexual conduct, or to either pose or
model alone or with others for purposes of preparing a film,
photograph, negative, slide, drawing, painting, or other pictorial
depiction, involving obscene sexual conduct. For the purpose of this
section, "person responsible for a child's welfare" means a parent,
guardian, foster parent, or a licensed administrator or employee of a
public or private residential home, residential school, or other
residential institution.
(3) A person who depicts a child in, or who knowingly develops,
duplicates, prints, downloads, streams, accesses through any
electronic or digital media, or exchanges, a film, photograph,
videotape, video recording, negative, or slide in which a child is
engaged in an act of obscene sexual conduct, except for those
activities by law enforcement and prosecution agencies and other
persons described in subdivisions (c) and (e) of Section 311.3.
(d) "Commercial sexual exploitation" refers to either of the
following:
(1) The sexual trafficking of a child, as described in subdivision
(c) of Section 236.1.
(2) The provision of food, shelter, or payment to a child in
exchange for the performance of any sexual act described in this
section or subdivision (c) of Section 236.1.
As used in this article, "neglect" means the negligent
treatment or the maltreatment of a child by a person responsible for
the child's welfare under circumstances indicating harm or threatened
harm to the child's health or welfare. The term includes both acts
and omissions on the part of the responsible person.
(a) "Severe neglect" means the negligent failure of a person
having the care or custody of a child to protect the child from
severe malnutrition or medically diagnosed nonorganic failure to
thrive. "Severe neglect" also means those situations of neglect where
any person having the care or custody of a child willfully causes or
permits the person or health of the child to be placed in a
situation such that his or her person or health is endangered, as
proscribed by Section 11165.3, including the intentional failure to
provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care.
(b) "General neglect" means the negligent failure of a person
having the care or custody of a child to provide adequate food,
clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision where no physical
injury to the child has occurred.
For the purposes of this chapter, a child receiving treatment by
spiritual means as provided in Section 16509.1 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code or not receiving specified medical treatment for
religious reasons, shall not for that reason alone be considered a
neglected child. An informed and appropriate medical decision made by
parent or guardian after consultation with a physician or physicians
who have examined the minor does not constitute neglect.
As used in this article, "the willful harming or injuring
of a child or the endangering of the person or health of a child,"
means a situation in which any person willfully causes or permits any
child to suffer, or inflicts thereon, unjustifiable physical pain or
mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child,
willfully causes or permits the person or health of the child to be
placed in a situation in which his or her person or health is
endangered.
As used in this article, "unlawful corporal punishment or
injury" means a situation where any person willfully inflicts upon
any child any cruel or inhuman corporal punishment or injury
resulting in a traumatic condition. It does not include an amount of
force that is reasonable and necessary for a person employed by or
engaged in a public school to quell a disturbance threatening
physical injury to person or damage to property, for purposes of
self-defense, or to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous
objects within the control of the pupil, as authorized by Section
49001 of the Education Code. It also does not include the exercise of
the degree of physical control authorized by Section 44807 of the
Education Code. It also does not include an injury caused by
reasonable and necessary force used by a peace officer acting within
the course and scope of his or her employment as a peace officer.
As used in this article, the term "abuse or neglect in
out-of-home care" includes physical injury or death inflicted upon a
child by another person by other than accidental means, sexual abuse
as defined in Section 11165.1, neglect as defined in Section 11165.2,
unlawful corporal punishment or injury as defined in Section
11165.4, or the willful harming or injuring of a child or the
endangering of the person or health of a child, as defined in Section
11165.3, where the person responsible for the child's welfare is a
licensee, administrator, or employee of any facility licensed to care
for children, or an administrator or employee of a public or private
school or other institution or agency. "Abuse or neglect in
out-of-home care" does not include an injury caused by reasonable and
necessary force used by a peace officer acting within the course and
scope of his or her employment as a peace officer.
As used in this article, the term "child abuse or neglect"
includes physical injury or death inflicted by other than accidental
means upon a child by another person, sexual abuse as defined in
Section 11165.1, neglect as defined in Section 11165.2, the willful
harming or injuring of a child or the endangering of the person or
health of a child, as defined in Section 11165.3, and unlawful
corporal punishment or injury as defined in Section 11165.4. "Child
abuse or neglect" does not include a mutual affray between minors.
"Child abuse or neglect" does not include an injury caused by
reasonable and necessary force used by a peace officer acting within
the course and scope of his or her employment as a peace officer.
(a) As used in this article, "mandated reporter" is
defined as any of the following:
(1) A teacher.
(2) An instructional aide.
(3) A teacher's aide or teacher's assistant employed by a public
or private school.
(4) A classified employee of a public school.
(5) An administrative officer or supervisor of child welfare and
attendance, or a certificated pupil personnel employee of a public or
private school.
(6) An administrator of a public or private day camp.
(7) An administrator or employee of a public or private youth
center, youth recreation program, or youth organization.
(8) An administrator or employee of a public or private
organization whose duties require direct contact and supervision of
children.
(9) An employee of a county office of education or the State
Department of Education whose duties bring the employee into contact
with children on a regular basis.
(10) A licensee, an administrator, or an employee of a licensed
community care or child day care facility.
(11) A Head Start program teacher.
(12) A licensing worker or licensing evaluator employed by a
licensing agency, as defined in Section 11165.11.
(13) A public assistance worker.
(14) An employee of a child care institution, including, but not
limited to, foster parents, group home personnel, and personnel of
residential care facilities.
(15) A social worker, probation officer, or parole officer.
(16) An employee of a school district police or security
department.
(17) A person who is an administrator or presenter of, or a
counselor in, a child abuse prevention program in a public or private
school.
(18) A district attorney investigator, inspector, or local child
support agency caseworker, unless the investigator, inspector, or
caseworker is working with an attorney appointed pursuant to Section
317 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to represent a minor.
(19) A peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with
Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, who is not otherwise described in
this section.
(20) A firefighter, except for volunteer firefighters.
(21) A physician and surgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, dentist,
resident, intern, podiatrist, chiropractor, licensed nurse, dental
hygienist, optometrist, marriage and family therapist, clinical
social worker, professional clinical counselor, or any other person
who is currently licensed under Division 2 (commencing with Section
500) of the Business and Professions Code.
(22) An emergency medical technician I or II, paramedic, or other
person certified pursuant to Division 2.5 (commencing with Section
1797) of the Health and Safety Code.
(23) A psychological assistant registered pursuant to Section 2913
of the Business and Professions Code.
(24) A marriage and family therapist trainee, as defined in
subdivision (c) of Section 4980.03 of the Business and Professions
Code.
(25) An unlicensed marriage and family therapist intern registered
under Section 4980.44 of the Business and Professions Code.
(26) A state or county public health employee who treats a minor
for venereal disease or any other condition.
(27) A coroner.
(28) A medical examiner or other person who performs autopsies.
(29) A commercial film and photographic print or image processor
as specified in subdivision (e) of Section 11166. As used in this
article, "commercial film and photographic print or image processor"
means a person who develops exposed photographic film into negatives,
slides, or prints, or who makes prints from negatives or slides, or
who prepares, publishes, produces, develops, duplicates, or prints
any representation of information, data, or an image, including, but
not limited to, any film, filmstrip, photograph, negative, slide,
photocopy, videotape, video laser disc, computer hardware, computer
software, computer floppy disk, data storage medium, CD-ROM,
computer-generated equipment, or computer-generated image, for
compensation. The term includes any employee of that person; it does
not include a person who develops film or makes prints or images for
a public agency.
(30) A child visitation monitor. As used in this article, "child
visitation monitor" means a person who, for financial compensation,
acts as a monitor of a visit between a child and another person when
the monitoring of that visit has been ordered by a court of law.
(31) An animal control officer or humane society officer. For the
purposes of this article, the following terms have the following
meanings:
(A) "Animal control officer" means a person employed by a city,
county, or city and county for the purpose of enforcing animal
control laws or regulations.
(B) "Humane society officer" means a person appointed or employed
by a public or private entity as a humane officer who is qualified
pursuant to Section 14502 or 14503 of the Corporations Code.
(32) A clergy member, as specified in subdivision (d) of Section
11166. As used in this article, "clergy member" means a priest,
minister, rabbi, religious practitioner, or similar functionary of a
church, temple, or recognized denomination or organization.
(33) Any custodian of records of a clergy member, as specified in
this section and subdivision (d) of Section 11166.
(34) An employee of any police department, county sheriff's
department, county probation department, or county welfare
department.
(35) An employee or volunteer of a Court Appointed Special
Advocate program, as defined in Rule 5.655 of the California Rules of
Court.
(36) A custodial officer, as defined in Section 831.5.
(37) A person providing services to a minor child under Section
12300 or 12300.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(38) An alcohol and drug counselor. As used in this article, an
"alcohol and drug counselor" is a person providing counseling,
therapy, or other clinical services for a state licensed or certified
drug, alcohol, or drug and alcohol treatment program. However,
alcohol or drug abuse, or both alcohol and drug abuse, is not, in and
of itself, a sufficient basis for reporting child abuse or neglect.
(39) A clinical counselor trainee, as defined in subdivision (g)
of Section 4999.12 of the Business and Professions Code.
(40) A clinical counselor intern registered under Section 4999.42
of the Business and Professions Code.
(41) An employee or administrator of a public or private
postsecondary educational institution, whose duties bring the
administrator or employee into contact with children on a regular
basis, or who supervises those whose duties bring the administrator
or employee into contact with children on a regular basis, as to
child abuse or neglect occurring on that institution's premises or at
an official activity of, or program conducted by, the institution.
Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as altering the
lawyer-client privilege as set forth in Article 3 (commencing with
Section 950) of Chapter 4 of Division 8 of the Evidence Code.
(42) An athletic coach, athletic administrator, or athletic
director employed by any public or private school that provides any
combination of instruction for kindergarten, or grades 1 to 12,
inclusive.
(43) (A) A commercial computer technician as specified in
subdivision (e) of Section 11166. As used in this article,
"commercial computer technician" means a person who works for a
company that is in the business of repairing, installing, or
otherwise servicing a computer or computer component, including, but
not limited to, a computer part, device, memory storage or recording
mechanism, auxiliary storage recording or memory capacity, or any
other material relating to the operation and maintenance of a
computer or computer network system, for a fee. An employer who
provides an electronic communications service or a remote computing
service to the public shall be deemed to comply with this article if
that employer complies with Section 2258A of Title 18 of the United
States Code.
(B) An employer of a commercial computer technician may implement
internal procedures for facilitating reporting consistent with this
article. These procedures may direct employees who are mandated
reporters under this paragraph to report materials described in
subdivision (e) of Section 11166 to an employee who is designated by
the employer to receive the reports. An employee who is designated to
receive reports under this subparagraph shall be a commercial
computer technician for purposes of this article. A commercial
computer technician who makes a report to the designated employee
pursuant to this subparagraph shall be deemed to have complied with
the requirements of this article and shall be subject to the
protections afforded to mandated reporters, including, but not
limited to, those protections afforded by Section 11172.
(44) Any athletic coach, including, but not limited to, an
assistant coach or a graduate assistant involved in coaching, at
public or private postsecondary educational institutions.
(b) Except as provided in paragraph (35) of subdivision (a),
volunteers of public or private organizations whose duties require
direct contact with and supervision of children are not mandated
reporters but are encouraged to obtain training in the identification
and reporting of child abuse and neglect and are further encouraged
to report known or suspected instances of child abuse or neglect to
an agency specified in Section 11165.9.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (d), employers are strongly
encouraged to provide their employees who are mandated reporters with
training in the duties imposed by this article. This training shall
include training in child abuse and neglect identification and
training in child abuse and neglect reporting. Whether or not
employers provide their employees with training in child abuse and
neglect identification and reporting, the employers shall provide
their employees who are mandated reporters with the statement
required pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 11166.5.
(d) Pursuant to Section 44691 of the Education Code, school
districts, county offices of education, state special schools and
diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of Education, and
charter schools shall annually train their employees and persons
working on their behalf specified in subdivision (a) in the duties of
mandated reporters under the child abuse reporting laws. The
training shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, training
in child abuse and neglect identification and child abuse and neglect
reporting.
(e) (1) On and after January 1, 2018, pursuant to Section
1596.8662 of the Health and Safety Code, a child care licensee
applicant shall take training in the duties of mandated reporters
under the child abuse reporting laws as a condition of licensure, and
a child care administrator or an employee of a licensed child day
care facility shall take training in the duties of mandated reporters
during the first 90 days when he or she is employed by the facility.
(2) A person specified in paragraph (1) who becomes a licensee,
administrator, or employee of a licensed child day care facility
shall take renewal mandated reporter training every two years
following the date on which he or she completed the initial mandated
reporter training. The training shall include, but not necessarily be
limited to, training in child abuse and neglect identification and
child abuse and neglect reporting.
(f) Unless otherwise specifically provided, the absence of
training shall not excuse a mandated reporter from the duties imposed
by this article.
(g) Public and private organizations are encouraged to provide
their volunteers whose duties require direct contact with and
supervision of children with training in the identification and
reporting of child abuse and neglect.
Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect shall be made
by mandated reporters, or in the case of reports pursuant to Section
11166.05, may be made, to any police department or sheriff's
department, not including a school district police or security
department, county probation department, if designated by the county
to receive mandated reports, or the county welfare department. Any of
those agencies shall accept a report of suspected child abuse or
neglect whether offered by a mandated reporter or another person, or
referred by another agency, even if the agency to whom the report is
being made lacks subject matter or geographical jurisdiction to
investigate the reported case, unless the agency can immediately
electronically transfer the call to an agency with proper
jurisdiction. When an agency takes a report about a case of suspected
child abuse or neglect in which that agency lacks jurisdiction, the
agency shall immediately refer the case by telephone, fax, or
electronic transmission to an agency with proper jurisdiction.
Agencies that are required to receive reports of suspected child
abuse or neglect may not refuse to accept a report of suspected child
abuse or neglect from a mandated reporter or another person unless
otherwise authorized pursuant to this section, and shall maintain a
record of all reports received.
As used in this article, "licensing agency" means the
State Department of Social Services office responsible for the
licensing and enforcement of the California Community Care Facilities
Act (Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500) of Division 2 of the
Health and Safety Code), the California Child Day Care Act (Chapter
3.4 (commencing with Section 1596.70) of Division 2 of the Health and
Safety Code), and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90) of
Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code), or the county licensing
agency which has contracted with the state for performance of those
duties.
As used in this article, the following definitions shall
control:
(a) "Unfounded report" means a report that is determined by the
investigator who conducted the investigation to be false, to be
inherently improbable, to involve an accidental injury, or not to
constitute child abuse or neglect, as defined in Section 11165.6.
(b) "Substantiated report" means a report that is determined by
the investigator who conducted the investigation to constitute child
abuse or neglect, as defined in Section 11165.6, based upon evidence
that makes it more likely than not that child abuse or neglect, as
defined, occurred. A substantiated report shall not include a report
where the investigator who conducted the investigation found the
report to be false, inherently improbable, to involve an accidental
injury, or to not constitute child abuse or neglect as defined in
Section 11165.6.
(c) "Inconclusive report" means a report that is determined by the
investigator who conducted the investigation not to be unfounded,
but the findings are inconclusive and there is insufficient evidence
to determine whether child abuse or neglect, as defined in Section
11165.6, has occurred.
For purposes of this article, a positive toxicology
screen at the time of the delivery of an infant is not in and of
itself a sufficient basis for reporting child abuse or neglect.
However, any indication of maternal substance abuse shall lead to an
assessment of the needs of the mother and child pursuant to Section
123605 of the Health and Safety Code. If other factors are present
that indicate risk to a child, then a report shall be made. However,
a report based on risk to a child which relates solely to the
inability of the parent to provide the child with regular care due to
the parent's substance abuse shall be made only to a county welfare
or probation department, and not to a law enforcement agency.
The appropriate local law enforcement agency shall
investigate a child abuse complaint filed by a parent or guardian of
a pupil with a school or an agency specified in Section 11165.9
against a school employee or other person that commits an act of
child abuse, as defined in this article, against a pupil at a
schoolsite and shall transmit a substantiated report, as defined in
Section 11165.12, of that investigation to the governing board of the
appropriate school district or county office of education. A
substantiated report received by a governing board of a school
district or county office of education shall be subject to the
provisions of Section 44031 of the Education Code.
For the purposes of this article, the fact that a child
is homeless or is classified as an unaccompanied youth, as defined in
Section 11434a of the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
(42 U.S.C. Sec. 11301 et seq.), is not, in and of itself, a
sufficient basis for reporting child abuse or neglect. This section
shall not limit a mandated reporter, as defined in Section 11165.7,
from making a report pursuant to Section 11166 whenever the mandated
reporter has knowledge of or observes an unaccompanied minor whom the
mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects to be the victim of
abuse or neglect.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (d), and in Section
11166.05, a mandated reporter shall make a report to an agency
specified in Section 11165.9 whenever the mandated reporter, in his
or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment, has knowledge of or observes a child whom the mandated
reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child
abuse or neglect. The mandated reporter shall make an initial report
by telephone to the agency immediately or as soon as is practicably
possible, and shall prepare and send, fax, or electronically transmit
a written followup report within 36 hours of receiving the
information concerning the incident. The mandated reporter may
include with the report any nonprivileged documentary evidence the
mandated reporter possesses relating to the incident.
(1) For purposes of this article, "reasonable suspicion" means
that it is objectively reasonable for a person to entertain a
suspicion, based upon facts that could cause a reasonable person in a
like position, drawing, when appropriate, on his or her training and
experience, to suspect child abuse or neglect. "Reasonable suspicion"
does not require certainty that child abuse or neglect has occurred
nor does it require a specific medical indication of child abuse or
neglect; any "reasonable suspicion" is sufficient. For purposes of
this article, the pregnancy of a minor does not, in and of itself,
constitute a basis for a reasonable suspicion of sexual abuse.
(2) The agency shall be notified and a report shall be prepared
and sent, faxed, or electronically transmitted even if the child has
expired, regardless of whether or not the possible abuse was a factor
contributing to the death, and even if suspected child abuse was
discovered during an autopsy.
(3) A report made by a mandated reporter pursuant to this section
shall be known as a mandated report.
(b) If, after reasonable efforts, a mandated reporter is unable to
submit an initial report by telephone, he or she shall immediately
or as soon as is practicably possible, by fax or electronic
transmission, make a one-time automated written report on the form
prescribed by the Department of Justice, and shall also be available
to respond to a telephone followup call by the agency with which he
or she filed the report. A mandated reporter who files a one-time
automated written report because he or she was unable to submit an
initial report by telephone is not required to submit a written
followup report.
(1) The one-time automated written report form prescribed by the
Department of Justice shall be clearly identifiable so that it is not
mistaken for a standard written followup report. In addition, the
automated one-time report shall contain a section that allows the
mandated reporter to state the reason the initial telephone call was
not able to be completed. The reason for the submission of the
one-time automated written report in lieu of the procedure prescribed
in subdivision (a) shall be captured in the Child Welfare
Services/Case Management System (CWS/CMS). The department shall work
with stakeholders to modify reporting forms and the CWS/CMS as is
necessary to accommodate the changes enacted by these provisions.
(2) This subdivision shall not become operative until the CWS/CMS
is updated to capture the information prescribed in this subdivision.
(3) This subdivision shall become inoperative three years after
this subdivision becomes operative or on January 1, 2009, whichever
occurs first.
(4) On the inoperative date of these provisions, a report shall be
submitted to the counties and the Legislature by the State
Department of Social Services that reflects the data collected from
automated one-time reports indicating the reasons stated as to why
the automated one-time report was filed in lieu of the initial
telephone report.
(5) Nothing in this section shall supersede the requirement that a
mandated reporter first attempt to make a report via telephone, or
that agencies specified in Section 11165.9 accept reports from
mandated reporters and other persons as required.
(c) A mandated reporter who fails to report an incident of known
or reasonably suspected child abuse or neglect as required by this
section is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months
confinement in a county jail or by a fine of one thousand dollars
($1,000) or by both that imprisonment and fine. If a mandated
reporter intentionally conceals his or her failure to report an
incident known by the mandated reporter to be abuse or severe neglect
under this section, the failure to report is a continuing offense
until an agency specified in Section 11165.9 discovers the offense.
(d) (1) A clergy member who acquires knowledge or a reasonable
suspicion of child abuse or neglect during a penitential
communication is not subject to subdivision (a). For the purposes of
this subdivision, "penitential communication" means a communication,
intended to be in confidence, including, but not limited to, a
sacramental confession, made to a clergy member who, in the course of
the discipline or practice of his or her church, denomination, or
organization, is authorized or accustomed to hear those
communications, and under the discipline, tenets, customs, or
practices of his or her church, denomination, or organization, has a
duty to keep those communications secret.
(2) Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to modify or
limit a clergy member's duty to report known or suspected child abuse
or neglect when the clergy member is acting in some other capacity
that would otherwise make the clergy member a mandated reporter.
(3) (A) On or before January 1, 2004, a clergy member or any
custodian of records for the clergy member may report to an agency
specified in Section 11165.9 that the clergy member or any custodian
of records for the clergy member, prior to January 1, 1997, in his or
her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment, other than during a penitential communication, acquired
knowledge or had a reasonable suspicion that a child had been the
victim of sexual abuse and that the clergy member or any custodian of
records for the clergy member did not previously report the abuse to
an agency specified in Section 11165.9. The provisions of Section
11172 shall apply to all reports made pursuant to this paragraph.
(B) This paragraph shall apply even if the victim of the known or
suspected abuse has reached the age of majority by the time the
required report is made.
(C) The local law enforcement agency shall have jurisdiction to
investigate any report of child abuse made pursuant to this paragraph
even if the report is made after the victim has reached the age of
majority.
(e) (1) A commercial film, photographic print, or image processor
who has knowledge of or observes, within the scope of his or her
professional capacity or employment, any film, photograph, videotape,
negative, slide, or any representation of information, data, or an
image, including, but not limited to, any film, filmstrip,
photograph, negative, slide, photocopy, videotape, video laser disc,
computer hardware, computer software, computer floppy disk, data
storage medium, CD-ROM, computer-generated equipment, or
computer-generated image depicting a child under 16 years of age
engaged in an act of sexual conduct, shall, immediately or as soon as
practicably possible, telephonically report the instance of
suspected abuse to the law enforcement agency located in the county
in which the images are seen. Within 36 hours of receiving the
information concerning the incident, the reporter shall prepare and
send, fax, or electronically transmit a written followup report of
the incident with a copy of the image or material attached.
(2) A commercial computer technician who has knowledge of or
observes, within the scope of his or her professional capacity or
employment, any representation of information, data, or an image,
including, but not limited to, any computer hardware, computer
software, computer file, computer floppy disk, data storage medium,
CD-ROM, computer-generated equipment, or computer-generated image
that is retrievable in perceivable form and that is intentionally
saved, transmitted, or organized on an electronic medium, depicting a
child under 16 years of age engaged in an act of sexual conduct,
shall immediately, or as soon as practicably possible, telephonically
report the instance of suspected abuse to the law enforcement agency
located in the county in which the images or materials are seen. As
soon as practicably possible after receiving the information
concerning the incident, the reporter shall prepare and send, fax, or
electronically transmit a written followup report of the incident
with a brief description of the images or materials.
(3) For purposes of this article, "commercial computer technician"
includes an employee designated by an employer to receive reports
pursuant to an established reporting process authorized by
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (43) of subdivision (a) of Section
11165.7.
(4) As used in this subdivision, "electronic medium" includes, but
is not limited to, a recording, CD-ROM, magnetic disk memory,
magnetic tape memory, CD, DVD, thumbdrive, or any other computer
hardware or media.
(5) As used in this subdivision, "sexual conduct" means any of the
following:
(A) Sexual intercourse, including genital-genital, oral-genital,
anal-genital, or oral-anal, whether between persons of the same or
opposite sex or between humans and animals.
(B) Penetration of the vagina or rectum by any object.
(C) Masturbation for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the
viewer.
(D) Sadomasochistic abuse for the purpose of sexual stimulation of
the viewer.
(E) Exhibition of the genitals, pubic, or rectal areas of a person
for the purpose of sexual stimulation of the viewer.
(f) Any mandated reporter who knows or reasonably suspects that
the home or institution in which a child resides is unsuitable for
the child because of abuse or neglect of the child shall bring the
condition to the attention of the agency to which, and at the same
time as, he or she makes a report of the abuse or neglect pursuant to
subdivision (a).
(g) Any other person who has knowledge of or observes a child whom
he or she knows or reasonably suspects has been a victim of child
abuse or neglect may report the known or suspected instance of child
abuse or neglect to an agency specified in Section 11165.9. For
purposes of this section, "any other person" includes a mandated
reporter who acts in his or her private capacity and not in his or
her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her
employment.
(h) When two or more persons, who are required to report, jointly
have knowledge of a known or suspected instance of child abuse or
neglect, and when there is agreement among them, the telephone report
may be made by a member of the team selected by mutual agreement and
a single report may be made and signed by the selected member of the
reporting team. Any member who has knowledge that the member
designated to report has failed to do so shall thereafter make the
report.
(i) (1) The reporting duties under this section are individual,
and no supervisor or administrator may impede or inhibit the
reporting duties, and no person making a report shall be subject to
any sanction for making the report. However, internal procedures to
facilitate reporting and apprise supervisors and administrators of
reports may be established provided that they are not inconsistent
with this article.
(2) The internal procedures shall not require any employee
required to make reports pursuant to this article to disclose his or
her identity to the employer.
(3) Reporting the information regarding a case of possible child
abuse or neglect to an employer, supervisor, school principal, school
counselor, coworker, or other person shall not be a substitute for
making a mandated report to an agency specified in Section 11165.9.
(j) (1) A county probation or welfare department shall
immediately, or as soon as practicably possible, report by telephone,
fax, or electronic transmission to the law enforcement agency having
jurisdiction over the case, to the agency given the responsibility
for investigation of cases under Section 300 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, and to the district attorney's office every known
or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect, as defined in
Section 11165.6, except acts or omissions coming within subdivision
(b) of Section 11165.2, or reports made pursuant to Section 11165.13
based on risk to a child that relates solely to the inability of the
parent to provide the child with regular care due to the parent's
substance abuse, which shall be reported only to the county welfare
or probation department. A county probation or welfare department
also shall send, fax, or electronically transmit a written report
thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the
incident to any agency to which it makes a telephone report under
this subdivision.
(2) A county probation or welfare department shall immediately,
and in no case in more than 24 hours, report to the law enforcement
agency having jurisdiction over the case after receiving information
that a child or youth who is receiving child welfare services has
been identified as the victim of commercial sexual exploitation, as
defined in subdivision (d) of Section 11165.1.
(3) When a child or youth who is receiving child welfare services
and who is reasonably believed to be the victim of, or is at risk of
being the victim of, commercial sexual exploitation, as defined in
Section 11165.1, is missing or has been abducted, the county
probation or welfare department shall immediately, or in no case
later than 24 hours from receipt of the information, report the
incident to the appropriate law enforcement authority for entry into
the National Crime Information Center database of the Federal Bureau
of Investigation and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children.
(k) A law enforcement agency shall immediately, or as soon as
practicably possible, report by telephone, fax, or electronic
transmission to the agency given responsibility for investigation of
cases under Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and to
the district attorney's office every known or suspected instance of
child abuse or neglect reported to it, except acts or omissions
coming within subdivision (b) of Section 11165.2, which shall be
reported only to the county welfare or probation department. A law
enforcement agency shall report to the county welfare or probation
department every known or suspected instance of child abuse or
neglect reported to it which is alleged to have occurred as a result
of the action of a person responsible for the child's welfare, or as
the result of the failure of a person responsible for the child's
welfare to adequately protect the minor from abuse when the person
responsible for the child's welfare knew or reasonably should have
known that the minor was in danger of abuse. A law enforcement agency
also shall send, fax, or electronically transmit a written report
thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the
incident to any agency to which it makes a telephone report under
this subdivision.
(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), any supervisor
or administrator who violates paragraph (1) of subdivision (i) of
Section 11166 shall be punished by not more than six months in a
county jail, by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars
($1,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 11162 or subdivision (c) of Section
11166, any mandated reporter who willfully fails to report abuse or
neglect, or any person who impedes or inhibits a report of abuse or
neglect, in violation of this article, where that abuse or neglect
results in death or great bodily injury, shall be punished by not
more than one year in a county jail, by a fine of not more than five
thousand dollars ($5,000), or by both that fine and imprisonment.
(a) A county welfare agency, as determined in Section
10612.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, may develop a pilot
program for Internet-based reporting of child abuse and neglect. The
pilot program may receive reports by mandated reporters, as specified
in paragraph (5), of suspected child abuse or neglect and shall meet
all of the following conditions:
(1) The suspected child abuse or neglect does not indicate that
the child is subject to an immediate risk of abuse, neglect, or
exploitation or that the child is in imminent danger of severe harm
or death.
(2) The agency provides an Internet form that includes
standardized safety assessment qualifying questions in order to
obtain necessary information required to assess the need for child
welfare services and a response. The State Department of Social
Services shall provide guidance through written directives to
counties participating in the pilot program to incorporate qualifying
questions in the online report that would indicate the need to
redirect the mandated reporter to perform a telephone report.
(3) The mandated reporter is required to complete all required
fields, including identity and contact information of the mandated
reporter, in order to submit the report.
(4) The agency provides an Internet-based reporting system that
has appropriate security protocols to preserve the confidentiality of
the reports and any documents or photographs submitted through the
system.
(5) The system can only be used by mandated reporters who are any
of the following:
(A) A peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with
Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2.
(B) A probation officer or social worker, as defined in Section
215 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(C) A school teacher, counselor, or administrator.
(D) A physician and surgeon, psychologist, licensed nurse, or
clinical social worker licensed pursuant to Division 2 (commencing
with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code.
(E) A coroner.
(6) Nothing in this section shall be construed as changing current
statutory or regulatory requirements regarding timely review,
assessment, and response to reports of possible abuse or neglect.
(b) (1) In a county where the pilot program is active, a mandated
reporter listed in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a) may use the
Internet-based reporting tool in lieu of the required initial
telephone report required by subdivision (a) of Section 11166. A
mandated reporter listed in paragraph (5) of subdivision (a)
submitting an Internet-based report in accordance with this
subdivision shall, as soon as practically possible, cooperate with
the agency on any requests for additional information if needed to
investigate the report, subject to applicable confidentiality
requirements.
(2) In a county where the pilot program is active, a mandated
reporter who submits the initial report through the Internet-based
reporting tool in lieu of the required initial telephone report is
not required to submit the written followup report required pursuant
to subdivision (a) of Section 11166.
(c) This section shall remain in effect only until January 1,
2021, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted
statute, that is enacted before January 1, 2021, deletes or extends
that date.
Any mandated reporter who has knowledge of or who
reasonably suspects that a child is suffering serious emotional
damage or is at a substantial risk of suffering serious emotional
damage, evidenced by states of being or behavior, including, but not
limited to, severe anxiety, depression, withdrawal, or untoward
aggressive behavior toward self or others, may make a report to an
agency specified in Section 11165.9.
(a) When an agency receives a report pursuant to Section
11166 that contains either of the following, it shall, within 24
hours, notify the licensing office with jurisdiction over the
facility:
(1) A report of abuse alleged to have occurred in facilities
licensed to care for children by the State Department of Social
Services.
(2) A report of the death of a child who was, at the time of
death, living at, enrolled in, or regularly attending a facility
licensed to care for children by the State Department of Social
Services, unless the circumstances of the child's death are clearly
unrelated to the child's care at the facility.
The agency shall send the licensing agency a copy of its
investigation and any other pertinent materials.
(b) Any employee of an agency specified in Section 11165.9 who has
knowledge of, or observes in his or her professional capacity or
within the scope of his or her employment, a child in protective
custody whom he or she knows or reasonably suspects has been the
victim of child abuse or neglect shall, within 36 hours, send or have
sent to the attorney who represents the child in dependency court, a
copy of the report prepared in accordance with Section 11166. The
agency shall maintain a copy of the written report. All information
requested by the attorney for the child or the child's guardian ad
litem shall be provided by the agency within 30 days of the request.
In addition to the reports required under Section 11166,
any agency specified in Section 11165.9 shall immediately or as soon
as practically possible report by telephone, fax, or electronic
transmission to the appropriate licensing agency every known or
suspected instance of child abuse or neglect when the instance of
abuse or neglect occurs while the child is being cared for in a child
day care facility, involves a child day care licensed staff person,
or occurs while the child is under the supervision of a community
care facility or involves a community care facility licensee or staff
person. The agency shall also send, fax, or electronically transmit
a written report thereof within 36 hours of receiving the information
concerning the incident to any agency to which it makes a telephone
report under this subdivision. The agency shall send the licensing
agency a copy of its investigation report and any other pertinent
materials.
(a) The Legislature intends that in each county the law
enforcement agencies and the county welfare or probation department
shall develop and implement cooperative arrangements in order to
coordinate existing duties in connection with the investigation of
suspected child abuse or neglect cases. The local law enforcement
agency having jurisdiction over a case reported under Section 11166
shall report to the county welfare or probation department that it is
investigating the case within 36 hours after starting its
investigation. The county welfare department or probation department
shall, in cases where a minor is a victim of actions specified in
Section 288 of this code and a petition has been filed pursuant to
Section 300 of the Welfare and Institutions Code with regard to the
minor, evaluate what action or actions would be in the best interest
of the child victim. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
county welfare department or probation department shall submit in
writing its findings and the reasons therefor to the district
attorney on or before the completion of the investigation. The
written findings and the reasons therefor shall be delivered or made
accessible to the defendant or his or her counsel in the manner
specified in Section 859.
(b) The local law enforcement agency having jurisdiction over a
case reported under Section 11166 shall report to the district office
of the State Department of Social Services any case reported under
this section if the case involves a facility specified in paragraph
(5) or (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 1502, Section 1596.750 or
1596.76 of the Health and Safety Code, and the licensing of the
facility has not been delegated to a county agency. The law
enforcement agency shall send a copy of its investigation report and
any other pertinent materials to the licensing agency upon the
request of the licensing agency.
(a) (1) On and after January 1, 1985, any mandated
reporter as specified in Section 11165.7, with the exception of child
visitation monitors, prior to commencing his or her employment, and
as a prerequisite to that employment, shall sign a statement on a
form provided to him or her by his or her employer to the effect that
he or she has knowledge of the provisions of Section 11166 and will
comply with those provisions. The statement shall inform the employee
that he or she is a mandated reporter and inform the employee of his
or her reporting obligations under Section 11166 and of his or her
confidentiality rights under subdivision (d) of Section 11167. The
employer shall provide a copy of Sections 11165.7, 11166, and 11167
to the employee.
On and after January 1, 1993, any person who acts as a child
visitation monitor, as defined in paragraph (31) of subdivision (a)
of Section 11165.7, prior to engaging in monitoring the first visit
in a case, shall sign a statement on a form provided to him or her by
the court which ordered the presence of that third person during the
visit, to the effect that he or she has knowledge of the provisions
of Section 11166 and will comply with those provisions.
(2) The signed statements shall be retained by the employer or the
court, as the case may be. The cost of printing, distribution, and
filing of these statements shall be borne by the employer or the
court.
(3) This subdivision is not applicable to persons employed by
public or private youth centers, youth recreation programs, and youth
organizations as members of the support staff or maintenance staff
and who do not work with, observe, or have knowledge of children as
part of their official duties.
(b) On and after January 1, 1986, when a person is issued a state
license or certificate to engage in a profession or occupation, the
members of which are required to make a report pursuant to Section
11166, the state agency issuing the license or certificate shall send
a statement substantially similar to the one contained in
subdivision (a) to the person at the same time as it transmits the
document indicating licensure or certification to the person. In
addition to the requirements contained in subdivision (a), the
statement also shall indicate that failure to comply with the
requirements of Section 11166 is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to
six months in a county jail, by a fine of one thousand dollars
($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(c) As an alternative to the procedure required by subdivision
(b), a state agency may cause the required statement to be printed on
all application forms for a license or certificate printed on or
after January 1, 1986.
(d) On and after January 1, 1993, any child visitation monitor, as
defined in paragraph (31) of subdivision (a) of Section 11165.7, who
desires to act in that capacity shall have received training in the
duties imposed by this article, including training in child abuse
identification and child abuse reporting. The person, prior to
engaging in monitoring the first visit in a case, shall sign a
statement on a form provided to him or her by the court which ordered
the presence of that third person during the visit, to the effect
that he or she has received this training. This statement may be
included in the statement required by subdivision (a) or it may be a
separate statement. This statement shall be filed, along with the
statement required by subdivision (a), in the court file of the case
for which the visitation monitoring is being provided.
(e) Any person providing services to a minor child, as described
in paragraph (38) of subdivision (a) of Section 11165.7, shall not be
required to make a report pursuant to Section 11166 unless that
person has received training, or instructional materials in the
appropriate language, on the duties imposed by this article,
including identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
(a) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect pursuant to
Section 11166 or Section 11166.05 shall include the name, business
address, and telephone number of the mandated reporter; the capacity
that makes the person a mandated reporter; and the information that
gave rise to the reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect and
the source or sources of that information. If a report is made, the
following information, if known, shall also be included in the
report: the child's name, the child's address, present location, and,
if applicable, school, grade, and class; the names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of the child's parents or guardians; and the name,
address, telephone number, and other relevant personal information
about the person or persons who might have abused or neglected the
child. The mandated reporter shall make a report even if some of this
information is not known or is uncertain to him or her.
(b) Information relevant to the incident of child abuse or neglect
and information relevant to a report made pursuant to Section
11166.05 may be given to an investigator from an agency that is
investigating the known or suspected case of child abuse or neglect.
(c) Information relevant to the incident of child abuse or
neglect, including the investigation report and other pertinent
materials, and information relevant to a report made pursuant to
Section 11166.05 may be given to the licensing agency when it is
investigating a known or suspected case of child abuse or neglect.
(d) (1) The identity of all persons who report under this article
shall be confidential and disclosed only among agencies receiving or
investigating mandated reports, to the prosecutor in a criminal
prosecution or in an action initiated under Section 602 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code arising from alleged child abuse, or to
counsel appointed pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 317 of the
Welfare and Institutions Code, or to the county counsel or prosecutor
in a proceeding under Part 4 (commencing with Section 7800) of
Division 12 of the Family Code or Section 300 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code, or to a licensing agency when abuse or neglect in
out-of-home care is reasonably suspected, or when those persons waive
confidentiality, or by court order.
(2) No agency or person listed in this subdivision shall disclose
the identity of any person who reports under this article to that
person's employer, except with the employee's consent or by court
order.
(e) Notwithstanding the confidentiality requirements of this
section, a representative of a child protective services agency
performing an investigation that results from a report of suspected
child abuse or neglect made pursuant to Section 11166 or Section
11166.05, at the time of the initial contact with the individual who
is subject to the investigation, shall advise the individual of the
complaints or allegations against him or her, in a manner that is
consistent with laws protecting the identity of the reporter under
this article.
(f) Persons who may report pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section
11166 are not required to include their names.
(a) The reports required by Sections 11166 and 11166.2, or
authorized by Section 11166.05, and child abuse or neglect
investigative reports that result in a summary report being filed
with the Department of Justice pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
11169 shall be confidential and may be disclosed only as provided in
subdivision (b). Any violation of the confidentiality provided by
this article is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in a county
jail not to exceed six months, by a fine of five hundred dollars
($500), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(b) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect and information
contained therein may be disclosed only to the following:
(1) Persons or agencies to whom disclosure of the identity of the
reporting party is permitted under Section 11167.
(2) Persons or agencies to whom disclosure of information is
permitted under subdivision (b) of Section 11170 or subdivision (a)
of Section 11170.5.
(3) Persons or agencies with whom investigations of child abuse or
neglect are coordinated under the regulations promulgated under
Section 11174.
(4) Multidisciplinary personnel teams as defined in subdivision
(d) of Section 18951 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(5) Persons or agencies responsible for the licensing of
facilities which care for children, as specified in Section 11165.7.
(6) The State Department of Social Services or any county
licensing agency which has contracted with the state, as specified in
paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of Section 11170, when an
individual has applied for a community care license or child day care
license, or for employment in an out-of-home care facility, or when
a complaint alleges child abuse or neglect by an operator or employee
of an out-of-home care facility.
(7) Hospital scan teams. As used in this paragraph, "hospital scan
team" means a team of three or more persons established by a
hospital, or two or more hospitals in the same county, consisting of
health care professionals and representatives of law enforcement and
child protective services, the members of which are engaged in the
identification of child abuse or neglect. The disclosure authorized
by this section includes disclosure among all hospital scan teams.
(8) Coroners and medical examiners when conducting a post mortem
examination of a child.
(9) The Board of Parole Hearings, which may subpoena an employee
of a county welfare department who can provide relevant evidence and
reports that both (A) are not unfounded, pursuant to Section
11165.12, and (B) concern only the current incidents upon which
parole revocation proceedings are pending against a parolee charged
with child abuse or neglect. The reports and information shall be
confidential pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 11167.
(10) Personnel from an agency responsible for making a placement
of a child pursuant to Section 361.3 of, and Article 7 (commencing
with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of, the
Welfare and Institutions Code.
(11) Persons who have been identified by the Department of Justice
as listed in the Child Abuse Central Index pursuant to paragraph (7)
of subdivision (b) of Section 11170 or subdivision (c) of Section
11170, or persons who have verified with the Department of Justice
that they are listed in the Child Abuse Central Index as provided in
subdivision (f) of Section 11170. Disclosure under this paragraph is
required notwithstanding the California Public Records Act, Chapter
3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the
Government Code. Nothing in this paragraph shall preclude a
submitting agency prior to disclosure from redacting any information
necessary to maintain confidentiality as required by law.
(12) Out-of-state law enforcement agencies conducting an
investigation of child abuse or neglect only when an agency makes the
request for reports of suspected child abuse or neglect in writing
and on official letterhead, or as designated by the Department of
Justice, identifying the suspected abuser or victim by name and date
of birth or approximate age. The request shall be signed by the
department supervisor of the requesting law enforcement agency. The
written request shall cite the out-of-state statute or interstate
compact provision that requires that the information contained within
these reports is to be disclosed only to law enforcement,
prosecutorial entities, or multidisciplinary investigative teams, and
shall cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful disclosure
provided by the requesting state or the applicable interstate compact
provision.
(13) Out-of-state agencies responsible for approving prospective
foster or adoptive parents for placement of a child only when the
agency makes the request in compliance with the Adam Walsh Child
Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248). The request
shall also cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful
disclosure provided by the requesting state or the applicable
interstate compact provision and indicate that the requesting state
shall maintain continual compliance with the requirement in paragraph
(20) of subdivision (a) of Section 671 of Title 42 of the United
States Code that requires the state have in place safeguards to
prevent the unauthorized disclosure of information in any child abuse
and neglect registry maintained by the state and prevent the
information from being used for a purpose other than the conducting
of background checks in foster or adoptive placement cases.
(14) Each chairperson of a county child death review team, or his
or her designee, to whom disclosure of information is permitted under
this article, relating to the death of one or more children and any
prior child abuse or neglect investigation reports maintained
involving the same victim, siblings, or suspects. Local child death
review teams may share any relevant information regarding case
reviews involving child death with other child death review teams.
(c) Authorized persons within county health departments shall be
permitted to receive copies of any reports made by health
practitioners, as defined in paragraphs (21) to (28), inclusive, of
subdivision (a) of Section 11165.7, and pursuant to Section 11165.13,
and copies of assessments completed pursuant to Sections 123600 and
123605 of the Health and Safety Code, to the extent permitted by
federal law. Any information received pursuant to this subdivision is
protected by subdivision (e).
(d) Nothing in this section requires the Department of Justice to
disclose information contained in records maintained under Section
11170 or under the regulations promulgated pursuant to Section 11174,
except as otherwise provided in this article.
(e) This section shall not be interpreted to allow disclosure of
any reports or records relevant to the reports of child abuse or
neglect if the disclosure would be prohibited by any other provisions
of state or federal law applicable to the reports or records
relevant to the reports of child abuse or neglect.
The written reports required by Section 11166 shall be
submitted on forms adopted by the Department of Justice after
consultation with representatives of the various professional medical
associations and hospital associations and county probation or
welfare departments. Those forms shall be distributed by the agencies
specified in Section 11165.9.
(a) An agency specified in Section 11165.9 shall forward to
the Department of Justice a report in writing of every case it
investigates of known or suspected child abuse or severe neglect that
is determined to be substantiated, other than cases coming within
subdivision (b) of Section 11165.2. An agency shall not forward a
report to the Department of Justice unless it has conducted an active
investigation and determined that the report is substantiated, as
defined in Section 11165.12. If a report has previously been filed
which subsequently proves to be not substantiated, the Department of
Justice shall be notified in writing of that fact and shall not
retain the report. The reports required by this section shall be in a
form approved by the Department of Justice and may be sent by fax or
electronic transmission. An agency specified in Section 11165.9
receiving a written report from another agency specified in Section
11165.9 shall not send that report to the Department of Justice.
(b) On and after January 1, 2012, a police department or sheriff's
department specified in Section 11165.9 shall no longer forward to
the Department of Justice a report in writing of any case it
investigates of known or suspected child abuse or severe neglect.
(c) At the time an agency specified in Section 11165.9 forwards a
report in writing to the Department of Justice pursuant to
subdivision (a), the agency shall also notify in writing the known or
suspected child abuser that he or she has been reported to the Child
Abuse Central Index (CACI).The notice required by this section shall
be in a form approved by the Department of Justice. The requirements
of this subdivision shall apply with respect to reports forwarded to
the department on or after the date on which this subdivision
becomes operative.
(d) Subject to subdivision (e), any person who is listed on the
CACI has the right to a hearing before the agency that requested his
or her inclusion in the CACI to challenge his or her listing on the
CACI. The hearing shall satisfy due process requirements. It is the
intent of the Legislature that the hearing provided for by this
subdivision shall not be construed to be inconsistent with hearing
proceedings available to persons who have been listed on the CACI
prior to the enactment of the act that added this subdivision.
(e) A hearing requested pursuant to subdivision (d) shall be
denied when a court of competent jurisdiction has determined that
suspected child abuse or neglect has occurred, or when the allegation
of child abuse or neglect resulting in the referral to the CACI is
pending before the court. A person who is listed on the CACI and has
been denied a hearing pursuant to this subdivision has a right to a
hearing pursuant to subdivision (d) only if the court's jurisdiction
has terminated, the court has not made a finding concerning whether
the suspected child abuse or neglect was substantiated, and a hearing
has not previously been provided to the listed person pursuant to
subdivision (d).
(f) Any person listed in the CACI who has reached 100 years of age
shall have his or her listing removed from the CACI.
(g) Any person listed in the CACI as of January 1, 2013, who was
listed prior to reaching 18 years of age, and who is listed once in
CACI with no subsequent listings, shall be removed from the CACI 10
years from the date of the incident resulting in the CACI listing.
(h) If, after a hearing pursuant to subdivision (d) or a court
proceeding described in subdivision (e), it is determined the person'
s CACI listing was based on a report that was not substantiated, the
agency shall notify the Department of Justice of that result and the
department shall remove that person's name from the CACI.
(i) Agencies, including police departments and sheriff's
departments, shall retain child abuse or neglect investigative
reports that result or resulted in a report filed with the Department
of Justice pursuant to subdivision (a) for the same period of time
that the information is required to be maintained on the CACI
pursuant to this section and subdivision (a) of Section 11170.
Nothing in this section precludes an agency from retaining the
reports for a longer period of time if required by law.
(j) The immunity provisions of Section 11172 shall not apply to
the submission of a report by an agency pursuant to this section.
However, nothing in this section shall be construed to alter or
diminish any other immunity provisions of state or federal law.
(a) (1) The Department of Justice shall maintain an index of
all reports of child abuse and severe neglect submitted pursuant to
Section 11169. The index shall be continually updated by the
department and shall not contain any reports that are determined to
be not substantiated. The department may adopt rules governing
recordkeeping and reporting pursuant to this article.
(2) The department shall act only as a repository of reports of
suspected child abuse and severe neglect to be maintained in the
Child Abuse Central Index (CACI) pursuant to paragraph (1). The
submitting agencies are responsible for the accuracy, completeness,
and retention of the reports described in this section. The
department shall be responsible for ensuring that the CACI accurately
reflects the report it receives from the submitting agency.
(3) Only information from reports that are reported as
substantiated shall be filed pursuant to paragraph (1), and all other
determinations shall be removed from the central list. If a person
listed in the CACI was under 18 years of age at the time of the
report, the information shall be deleted from the CACI 10 years from
the date of the incident resulting in the CACI listing, if no
subsequent report concerning the same person is received during that
time period.
(b) The provisions of subdivision (c) of Section 11169 apply to
any information provided pursuant to this subdivision.
(1) The Department of Justice shall immediately notify an agency
that submits a report pursuant to Section 11169, or a prosecutor who
requests notification, of any information maintained pursuant to
subdivision (a) that is relevant to the known or suspected instance
of child abuse or severe neglect reported by the agency. The agency
shall make that information available to the reporting health care
practitioner who is treating a person reported as a possible victim
of known or suspected child abuse. The agency shall make that
information available to the reporting child custodian, Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act guardian ad litem appointed under Rule
5.662 of the California Rules of Court, or counsel appointed under
Section 317 or 318 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, or the
appropriate licensing agency, if he or she or the licensing agency is
handling or investigating a case of known or suspected child abuse
or severe neglect.
(2) When a report is made pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section
11166, or Section 11166.05, the investigating agency, upon completion
of the investigation or after there has been a final disposition in
the matter, shall inform the person required or authorized to report
of the results of the investigation and of any action the agency is
taking with regard to the child or family.
(3) The Department of Justice shall make relevant information from
the CACI available to a law enforcement agency, county welfare
department, tribal agency pursuant to Section 10553.12 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, or county probation department that is
conducting a child abuse investigation.
(4) The department shall make available to the State Department of
Social Services, or to any county licensing agency that has
contracted with the state for the performance of licensing duties, or
to a tribal court or tribal child welfare agency of a tribe,
consortium of tribes, or tribal organization that has entered into an
agreement with the state pursuant to Section 10553.1 of the Welfare
and Institutions Code, information regarding a known or suspected
child abuser maintained pursuant to this section and subdivision (a)
of Section 11169 concerning any person who is an applicant for
licensure or approval, or any adult who resides or is employed in the
home of an applicant for licensure or approval, or who is an
applicant for employment in a position having supervisorial or
disciplinary power over a child or children, or who will provide
24-hour care for a child or children in a residential home or
facility, pursuant to Section 1522.1 or 1596.877 of the Health and
Safety Code, or Section 8714, 8802, 8912, or 9000 of the Family Code,
or Section 11403.2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.
(5) The Department of Justice shall make available to a Court
Appointed Special Advocate program that is conducting a background
investigation of an applicant seeking employment with the program or
a volunteer position as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, as
defined in Section 101 of the Welfare and Institutions Code,
information contained in the index regarding known or suspected child
abuse by the applicant.
(6) For purposes of child death review, the Department of Justice
shall make available to the chairperson, or the chairperson's
designee, for each county child death review team, or the State Child
Death Review Council, information for investigative purposes only
that is maintained in the CACI pursuant to subdivision (a) relating
to the death of one or more children and any prior child abuse or
neglect investigation reports maintained involving the same victims,
siblings, or suspects. Local child death review teams may share any
relevant information regarding case reviews involving child death
with other child death review teams.
(7) The department shall make available to investigative agencies
or probation officers, or court investigators acting pursuant to
Section 1513 of the Probate Code, responsible for placing children or
assessing the possible placement of children pursuant to Article 6
(commencing with Section 300), Article 7 (commencing with Section
305), Article 10 (commencing with Section 360), or Article 14
(commencing with Section 601) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of
the Welfare and Institutions Code, or Article 2 (commencing with
Section 1510) or Article 3 (commencing with Section 1540) of Chapter
1 of Part 2 of Division 4 of the Probate Code, information regarding
a known or suspected child abuser contained in the index concerning
any adult residing in the home where the child may be placed, when
this information is requested for purposes of ensuring that the
placement is in the best interest of the child. Upon receipt of
relevant information concerning child abuse or neglect investigation
reports contained in the CACI from the Department of Justice pursuant
to this subdivision, the agency or court investigator shall notify,
in writing, the person listed in the CACI that he or she is in the
index. The notification shall include the name of the reporting
agency and the date of the report.
(8) Pursuant to Section 10553.12 of the Welfare and Institutions
Code, the department shall make available to a tribal agency
information regarding a known or suspected child abuser maintained
pursuant to this section or subdivision (a) of Section 11169 who is
being considered as a prospective foster or adoptive parent, an adult
who resides or is employed in the home of an applicant for approval,
any person who has a familial or intimate relationship with any
person living in the home of an applicant, or an employee of the
tribal agency who may have contact with children.
(9) The Department of Justice shall make available to a government
agency conducting a background investigation pursuant to Section
1031 of the Government Code of an applicant seeking employment as a
peace officer, as defined in Section 830, information regarding a
known or suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to this section
concerning the applicant.
(10) The Department of Justice shall make available to a county
child welfare agency or delegated county adoption agency, as defined
in Section 8515 of the Family Code, conducting a background
investigation, or a government agency conducting a background
investigation on behalf of one of those agencies, information
regarding a known or suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to
this section and subdivision (a) of Section 11169 concerning any
applicant seeking employment or volunteer status with the agency who,
in the course of his or her employment or volunteer work, will have
direct contact with children who are alleged to have been, are at
risk of, or have suffered, abuse or neglect.
(11) (A) Persons or agencies, as specified in subdivision (b), if
investigating a case of known or suspected child abuse or neglect, or
the State Department of Social Services or any county licensing
agency pursuant to paragraph (4), or a Court Appointed Special
Advocate (CASA) program conducting a background investigation for
employment or volunteer candidates pursuant to paragraph (5), or an
investigative agency, probation officer, or court investigator
responsible for placing children or assessing the possible placement
of children pursuant to paragraph (7), or a government agency
conducting a background investigation of an applicant seeking
employment as a peace officer pursuant to paragraph (9), or a county
child welfare agency or delegated county adoption agency conducting a
background investigation of an applicant seeking employment or
volunteer status who, in the course of his or her employment or
volunteer work, will have direct contact with children who are
alleged to have been, are at risk of, or have suffered, abuse or
neglect, pursuant to paragraph (10), to whom disclosure of any
information maintained pursuant to subdivision (a) is authorized, are
responsible for obtaining the original investigative report from the
reporting agency, and for drawing independent conclusions regarding
the quality of the evidence disclosed, and its sufficiency for making
decisions regarding investigation, prosecution, licensing, placement
of a child, employment or volunteer positions with a CASA program,
or employment as a peace officer.
(B) If CACI information is requested by an agency for the
temporary placement of a child in an emergency situation pursuant to
Article 7 (commencing with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of
Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the department is
exempt from the requirements of Section 1798.18 of the Civil Code if
compliance would cause a delay in providing an expedited response to
the agency's inquiry and if further delay in placement may be
detrimental to the child.
(12) (A) Whenever information contained in the Department of
Justice files is furnished as the result of an application for
employment or licensing or volunteer status pursuant to paragraph
(4), (5), (8), (9), or (10), the Department of Justice may charge the
person or entity making the request a fee. The fee shall not exceed
the reasonable costs to the department of providing the information.
The only increase shall be at a rate not to exceed the legislatively
approved cost-of-living adjustment for the department. In no case
shall the fee exceed fifteen dollars ($15).
(B) All moneys received by the department pursuant to this section
to process trustline applications for purposes of Chapter 3.35
(commencing with Section 1596.60) of Division 2 of the Health and
Safety Code shall be deposited in a special account in the General
Fund that is hereby established and named the Department of Justice
Child Abuse Fund. Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the department
to offset the costs incurred to process trustline automated child
abuse or neglect system checks pursuant to this section.
(C) All moneys, other than those described in subparagraph (B),
received by the department pursuant to this paragraph shall be
deposited in a special account in the General Fund which is hereby
created and named the Department of Justice Sexual Habitual Offender
Fund. The funds shall be available, upon appropriation by the
Legislature, for expenditure by the department to offset the costs
incurred pursuant to Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 13885) and
Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 13890) of Title 6 of Part 4, and
the DNA and Forensic Identification Data Base and Data Bank Act of
1998 (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 295) of Title 9 of Part 1),
and for maintenance and improvements to the statewide Sexual Habitual
Offender Program and the California DNA offender identification file
(CAL-DNA) authorized by Chapter 9.5 (commencing with Section 13885)
of Title 6 of Part 4 and the DNA and Forensic Identification Data
Base and Data Bank Act of 1998 (Chapter 6 (commencing with Section
295) of Title 9 of Part 1).
(c) (1) The Department of Justice shall make available to any
agency responsible for placing children pursuant to Article 7
(commencing with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 2 of
the Welfare and Institutions Code, upon request, relevant
information concerning child abuse or neglect reports contained in
the index, when making a placement with a responsible relative
pursuant to Sections 281.5, 305, and 361.3 of the Welfare and
Institutions Code. Upon receipt of relevant information concerning
child abuse or neglect reports contained in the index from the
Department of Justice pursuant to this subdivision, the agency shall
also notify in writing the person listed in the CACI that he or she
is in the index. The notification shall include the location of the
original investigative report and the submitting agency. The
notification shall be submitted to the person listed at the same time
that all other parties are notified of the information, and no later
than the actual judicial proceeding that determines placement.
(2) If information is requested by an agency for the placement of
a child with a responsible relative in an emergency situation
pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 305) of Chapter 2 of
Part 1 of Division 2 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the
department is exempt from the requirements of Section 1798.18 of the
Civil Code if compliance would cause a delay in providing an
expedited response to the child protective agency's inquiry and if
further delay in placement may be detrimental to the child.
(d) The department shall make available any information maintained
pursuant to subdivision (a) to out-of-state law enforcement agencies
conducting investigations of known or suspected child abuse or
neglect only when an agency makes the request for information in
writing and on official letterhead, or as designated by the
department, identifying the suspected abuser or victim by name and
date of birth or approximate age. The request shall be signed by the
department supervisor of the requesting law enforcement agency. The
written requests shall cite the out-of-state statute or interstate
compact provision that requires that the information contained within
these reports shall be disclosed only to law enforcement,
prosecutorial entities, or multidisciplinary investigative teams, and
shall cite the safeguards in place to prevent unlawful disclosure of
any confidential information provided by the requesting state or the
applicable interstate compact provision.
(e) (1) The department shall make available to an out-of-state
agency, for purposes of approving a prospective foster or adoptive
parent in compliance with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety
Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-248), information regarding a known or
suspected child abuser maintained pursuant to subdivision (a)
concerning the prospective foster or adoptive parent, and any other
adult living in the home of the prospective foster or adoptive
parent. The department shall make that information available only
when the out-of-state agency makes the request indicating that
continual compliance will be maintained with the requirement in
paragraph (20) of subsection (a) of Section 671 of Title 42 of the
United States Code that requires the state to have in place
safeguards to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of information in
any child abuse and neglect registry maintained by the state and
prevent the information from being used for a purpose other than the
conducting of background checks in foster or adoption placement
cases.
(2) With respect to any information provided by the department in
response to the out-of-state agency's request, the out-of-state
agency is responsible for obtaining the original investigative report
from the reporting agency, and for drawing independent conclusions
regarding the quality of the evidence disclosed and its sufficiency
for making decisions regarding the approval of prospective foster or
adoptive parents.
(3) (A) Whenever information contained in the index is furnished
pursuant to this subdivision, the department shall charge the
out-of-state agency making the request a fee. The fee shall not
exceed the reasonable costs to the department of providing the
information. The only increase shall be at a rate not to exceed the
legislatively approved cost-of-living adjustment for the department.
In no case shall the fee exceed fifteen dollars ($15).
(B) All moneys received by the department pursuant to this
subdivision shall be deposited in the Department of Justice Child
Abuse Fund, established under subparagraph (B) of paragraph (12) of
subdivision (b). Moneys in the fund shall be available, upon
appropriation by the Legislature, for expenditure by the department
to offset the costs incurred to process requests for information
pursuant to this subdivision.
(f) (1) Any person may determine if he or she is listed in the
CACI by making a request in writing to the Department of Justice. The
request shall be notarized and include the person's name, address,
date of birth, and either a social security number or a California
identification number. Upon receipt of a notarized request, the
Department of Justice shall make available to the requesting person
information identifying the date of the report and the submitting
agency. The requesting person is responsible for obtaining the
investigative report from the submitting agency pursuant to paragraph
(11) of subdivision (b) of Section 11167.5.
(2) No person or agency shall require or request another person to
furnish a copy of a record concerning himself or herself, or
notification that a record concerning himself or herself exists or
does not exist, pursuant to paragraph (1).
(g) If a person is listed in the CACI only as a victim of child
abuse or neglect, and that person is 18 years of age or older, that
person may have his or her name removed from the index by making a
written request to the Department of Justice. The request shall be
notarized and include the person's name, address, social security
number, and date of birth.
(a) Notwithstanding paragraph (4) of subdivision (b) of
Section 11170, the Department of Justice shall make available to a
licensed adoption agency, as defined in Section 8530 of the Family
Code, information regarding a known or suspected child abuser
maintained in the Child Abuse Central Index, pursuant to subdivision
(a) of Section 11170, concerning any person who has submitted to the
agency an application for adoption.
(b) A licensed adoption agency, to which disclosure of any
information pursuant to subdivision (a) is authorized, is responsible
for obtaining the original investigative report from the reporting
agency, and for drawing independent conclusions regarding the quality
of the evidence disclosed and the sufficiency of the evidence for
making decisions when evaluating an application for adoption.
(c) Whenever information contained in the Department of Justice
files is furnished as the result of an application for adoption
pursuant to subdivision (a), the Department of Justice may charge the
agency making the request a fee. The fee shall not exceed the
reasonable costs to the department of providing the information. The
only increase shall be at a rate not to exceed the legislatively
approved cost-of-living adjustment for the department. In no case
shall the fee exceed fifteen dollars ($15).
All moneys received by the department pursuant to this subdivision
shall be deposited in the Department of Justice Sexual Habitual
Offender Fund pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (9) of
subdivision (b) of Section 11170.
(a) (1) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that
adequate protection of victims of child physical abuse or neglect has
been hampered by the lack of consistent and comprehensive medical
examinations.
(2) Enhancing examination procedures, documentation, and evidence
collection relating to child abuse or neglect will improve the
investigation and prosecution of child abuse or neglect as well as
other child protection efforts.
(b) The Office of Emergency Services shall, in cooperation with
the State Department of Social Services, the Department of Justice,
the California Association of Crime Lab Directors, the California
District Attorneys Association, the California State Sheriffs'
Association, the California Peace Officers Association, the
California Medical Association, the California Police Chiefs'
Association, child advocates, the California Medical Training Center,
child protective services, and other appropriate experts, establish
medical forensic forms, instructions, and examination protocols for
victims of child physical abuse or neglect using as a model the form
and guidelines developed pursuant to Section 13823.5.
(c) The forms shall include, but not be limited to, a place for
notation concerning each of the following:
(1) Any notification of injuries or any report of suspected child
physical abuse or neglect to law enforcement authorities or children'
s protective services, in accordance with existing reporting
procedures.
(2) Addressing relevant consent issues, if indicated.
(3) The taking of a patient history of child physical abuse or
neglect that includes other relevant medical history.
(4) The performance of a physical examination for evidence of
child physical abuse or neglect.
(5) The collection or documentation of any physical evidence of
child physical abuse or neglect, including any recommended
photographic procedures.
(6) The collection of other medical or forensic specimens,
including drug ingestion or toxication, as indicated.
(7) Procedures for the preservation and disposition of evidence.
(8) Complete documentation of medical forensic exam findings with
recommendations for diagnostic studies, including blood tests and
X-rays.
(9) An assessment as to whether there are findings that indicate
physical abuse or neglect.
(d) The forms shall become part of the patient's medical record
pursuant to guidelines established by the advisory committee of the
Office of Emergency Services and subject to the confidentiality laws
pertaining to the release of medical forensic examination records.
(e) The forms shall be made accessible for use on the Internet.
(a) A physician and surgeon or dentist or their agents and
by their direction may take skeletal X-rays of the child without the
consent of the child's parent or guardian, but only for purposes of
diagnosing the case as one of possible child abuse or neglect and
determining the extent of the child abuse or neglect.
(b) Neither the physician-patient privilege nor the
psychotherapist-patient privilege applies to information reported
pursuant to this article in any court proceeding or administrative
hearing.
(a) If a peace officer, in the course of an investigation
of child abuse or neglect, has reasonable cause to believe that the
child has been the victim of physical abuse, the officer may apply to
a magistrate for an order directing that the victim be X-rayed
without parental consent.
Any X-ray taken pursuant to this subdivision shall be administered
by a physician and surgeon or dentist or their agents.
(b) With respect to the cost of an X-ray taken by the county
coroner or at the request of the county coroner in suspected child
abuse or neglect cases, the county may charge the parent or legal
guardian of the child-victim the costs incurred by the county for the
X-ray.
(c) No person who administers an X-ray pursuant to this section
shall be entitled to reimbursement from the county for any
administrative cost that exceeds 5 percent of the cost of the X-ray.
(a) No mandated reporter shall be civilly or criminally
liable for any report required or authorized by this article, and
this immunity shall apply even if the mandated reporter acquired the
knowledge or reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect outside
of his or her professional capacity or outside the scope of his or
her employment. Any other person reporting a known or suspected
instance of child abuse or neglect shall not incur civil or criminal
liability as a result of any report authorized by this article unless
it can be proven that a false report was made and the person knew
that the report was false or was made with reckless disregard of the
truth or falsity of the report, and any person who makes a report of
child abuse or neglect known to be false or with reckless disregard
of the truth or falsity of the report is liable for any damages
caused. No person required to make a report pursuant to this article,
nor any person taking photographs at his or her direction, shall
incur any civil or criminal liability for taking photographs of a
suspected victim of child abuse or neglect, or causing photographs to
be taken of a suspected victim of child abuse or neglect, without
parental consent, or for disseminating the photographs, images, or
material with the reports required by this article. However, this
section shall not be construed to grant immunity from this liability
with respect to any other use of the photographs.
(b) Any person, who, pursuant to a request from a government
agency investigating a report of suspected child abuse or neglect,
provides the requesting agency with access to the victim of a known
or suspected instance of child abuse or neglect shall not incur civil
or criminal liability as a result of providing that access.
(c) Any commercial computer technician, and any employer of any
commercial computer technician, who, pursuant to a warrant from a law
enforcement agency investigating a report of suspected child abuse
or neglect, provides the law enforcement agency with a computer or
computer component which contains possible evidence of a known or
suspected instance of child abuse or neglect, shall not incur civil
or criminal liability as a result of providing that computer or
computer component to the law enforcement agency.
(d) (1) The Legislature finds that even though it has provided
immunity from liability to persons required or authorized to make
reports pursuant to this article, that immunity does not eliminate
the possibility that actions may be brought against those persons
based upon required or authorized reports. In order to further limit
the financial hardship that those persons may incur as a result of
fulfilling their legal responsibilities, it is necessary that they
not be unfairly burdened by legal fees incurred in defending those
actions. Therefore, a mandated reporter may present a claim to the
California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board for
reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred in any action against
that person on the basis of making a report required or authorized by
this article if the court has dismissed the action upon a demurrer
or motion for summary judgment made by that person, or if he or she
prevails in the action. The California Victim Compensation and
Government Claims Board shall allow that claim if the requirements of
this subdivision are met, and the claim shall be paid from an
appropriation to be made for that purpose. Attorney's fees awarded
pursuant to this section shall not exceed an hourly rate greater than
the rate charged by the Attorney General of the State of California
at the time the award is made and shall not exceed an aggregate
amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
(2) This subdivision shall not apply if a public entity has
provided for the defense of the action pursuant to Section 995 of the
Government Code.
(e) A court may award attorney's fees and costs to a commercial
film and photographic print processor when a suit is brought against
the processor because of a disclosure mandated by this article and
the court finds this suit to be frivolous.
The Department of Justice, in cooperation with the State
Department of Social Services, shall prescribe by regulation
guidelines for the investigation of abuse in out-of-home care, as
defined in Section 11165.5, and shall ensure that the investigation
is conducted in accordance with the regulations and guidelines.
(a) The Department of Justice, in cooperation with the
State Department of Social Services, shall prescribe by regulation
guidelines for the investigation of child abuse or neglect, as
defined in Section 11165.6, in facilities licensed to care for
children, and shall ensure that the investigation is conducted in
accordance with the regulations and guidelines.
(b) For community treatment facilities, day treatment facilities,
group homes, and foster family agencies, the State Department of
Social Services shall prescribe the following regulations:
(1) Regulations designed to assure that all licensees and
employees of community treatment facilities, day treatment
facilities, group homes, and foster family agencies licensed to care
for children have had appropriate training, as determined by the
State Department of Social Services, in consultation with
representatives of licensees, on the provisions of this article.
(2) Regulations designed to assure the community treatment
facilities, day treatment facilities, group homes, and foster family
agencies licensed to care for children maintain a written protocol
for the investigation and reporting of child abuse or neglect, as
defined in Section 11165.6, alleged to have occurred involving a
child placed in the facility.
(c) The State Department of Social Services shall provide such
orientation and training as it deems necessary to assure that its
officers, employees, or agents who conduct inspections of facilities
licensed to care for children are knowledgeable about the reporting
requirements of this article and have adequate training to identify
conditions leading to, and the signs of, child abuse or neglect, as
defined in Section 11165.6.
(a) Whenever a representative of a government agency
investigating suspected child abuse or neglect or the State
Department of Social Services deems it necessary, a suspected victim
of child abuse or neglect may be interviewed during school hours, on
school premises, concerning a report of suspected child abuse or
neglect that occurred within the child's home or out-of-home care
facility. The child shall be afforded the option of being interviewed
in private or selecting any adult who is a member of the staff of
the school, including any certificated or classified employee or
volunteer aide, to be present at the interview. A representative of
the agency investigating suspected child abuse or neglect or the
State Department of Social Services shall inform the child of that
right prior to the interview.
The purpose of the staff person's presence at the interview is to
lend support to the child and enable him or her to be as comfortable
as possible. However, the member of the staff so elected shall not
participate in the interview. The member of the staff so present
shall not discuss the facts or circumstances of the case with the
child. The member of the staff so present, including, but not limited
to, a volunteer aide, is subject to the confidentiality requirements
of this article, a violation of which is punishable as specified in
Section 11167.5. A representative of the school shall inform a member
of the staff so selected by a child of the requirements of this
section prior to the interview. A staff member selected by a child
may decline the request to be present at the interview. If the staff
person selected agrees to be present, the interview shall be held at
a time during school hours when it does not involve an expense to the
school. Failure to comply with the requirements of this section does
not affect the admissibility of evidence in a criminal or civil
proceeding.
(b) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify each
school district and each agency specified in Section 11165.9 to
receive mandated reports, and the State Department of Social Services
shall notify each of its employees who participate in the
investigation of reports of child abuse or neglect, of the
requirements of this section.