BILL NUMBER: AB 776	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  APRIL 28, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Chu
    (   Coauthor:   Assembly Member  
Cohn   ) 

                        FEBRUARY 18, 2005

   An act to amend Section 11165.9 of the Penal Code, relating to
child abuse reporting.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 776, as amended, Chu.  Child abuse reporting.
   Existing law requires certain persons to report incidents of
suspected child abuse to specified authorities by telephone and also
by written report. Existing law also requires certain agencies to
accept reports of suspected child abuse even if those agencies lack
jurisdiction to investigate, unless the agency can immediately refer
the report of suspected child abuse to the agency with proper
jurisdiction.
   This bill would specify that the agencies required to accept
reports of suspected child abuse submitted by mandated reports accept
telephone  , facsimile,  and  written 
electronically transmitted  reports of suspected child abuse.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: no.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 11165.9 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
   11165.9.
   Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect shall be made by
mandated reporters 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  written or  telephone 
, facsimile, or electronically transmitted  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.