BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 299|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 299
Author: Maze (R)
Amended: 6/15/05 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE : 6-0, 6/7/05
AYES: Alquist, Poochigian, Cedillo, Margett, Migden,
Perata
NO VOTE RECORDED: Romero
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 74-0, 4/7/05 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Mandatory child abuse reporting
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill authorizes the use of fax and
electronic transmissions for making mandated written
reports of child abuse or neglect, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law generally requires mandated
reporters who have knowledge of or observe a child in their
professional capacity or within the scope of their
employment and whom they know or reasonably suspect has
been the victim of child abuse or neglect, to immediately
make a report to a child protection agency, as specified.
Existing law requires that the "mandated reporter shall
make a report to the agency immediately or as soon as is
practicably possible by telephone, and the mandated
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AB 299
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reporter shall prepare and send a written report thereof
within 36 hours of receiving the information concerning the
incident."
Existing law provides that the agency shall be notified and
a report shall be sent 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.
This bill revises this last provision to allow these
reports to also be made by fax or electronic transmission.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: No
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 6/14/05)
California Psychological Association
California State Sheriffs' Association
Chief Probation Officers of California
State Public Affairs Committee Junior Leagues of California
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : The author states:
"Once amended, AB 299 will allow for technical changes
to Penal Code Section 11166 that permit follow up
reporting in suspected child abuse and/or neglect cases
be made via facsimile and/ or electronic submittal. My
goal with this bill has always been to aid in the
reporting process when it comes to expedited sharing of
information between the myriad of different agencies
involved in investigating these cases. Ultimately,
this expedited reporting will benefit the minor
children all of us are aiming to best protect."
"However, I want to underline that initial reporting of
child abuse and/or neglect cases still needs to be
completed via telephone. I recognize how essential a
thorough investigation is in reviewing all that is
involved with a particular child abuse and/or neglect
report cases. Telephone reporting will ensure that all
necessary information is appropriately shared."
AB 299
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3
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Aghazarian, Arambula, Baca, Bass, Benoit, Berg,
Bermudez, Blakeslee, Bogh, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chan,
Chavez, Chu, Cogdill, Cohn, Coto, Daucher, De La Torre,
DeVore, Dymally, Emmerson, Evans, Frommer, Garcia,
Goldberg, Hancock, Harman, Haynes, Jerome Horton, Shirley
Horton, Houston, Huff, Jones, Karnette, Keene, Klehs,
Koretz, La Malfa, La Suer, Laird, Leno, Leslie, Levine,
Liu, Matthews, Maze, McCarthy, Montanez, Mountjoy,
Mullin, Nakanishi, Nava, Negrete McLeod, Niello, Oropeza,
Parra, Pavley, Plescia, Sharon Runner, Ruskin, Saldana,
Salinas, Spitzer, Strickland, Torrico, Tran, Vargas,
Villines, Walters, Wolk, Wyland, Yee, Nunez
NO VOTE RECORDED: Gordon, Lieber, Nation, Richman,
Ridley-Thomas, Umberg
RJG:mel 6/14/05 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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