1998 Legislation
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SENATE BILL NO. 1331 – Child, abused/neglected, reporting

SENATE BILL NO. 1331

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Daily Data Tracking History



S1331................................................by JUDICIARY AND RULES
CHILD ABUSE/NEGLECT - Amends existing law to provide that a parent,
stepparent, grandparent, stepgrandparent, guardian or anyone having care,
custody or control of a child be required to report abuse, abandonment or
neglect of a child.

01/26    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/27    Rpt prt - to Jud
01/29    Rpt out - to Health/Wel

Bill Text


S1331


                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                                      IN THE SENATE

                                   SENATE BILL NO. 1331

                             BY JUDICIARY AND RULES COMMITTEE

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO REPORTING OF  ABUSE,  ABANDONMENT  OR  NEGLECT;  AMENDING  SECTION
 3        16-1619,  IDAHO  CODE,  TO REQUIRE THAT A PARENT, STEPPARENT, GRANDPARENT,
 4        STEPGRANDPARENT, GUARDIAN OR ANYONE HAVING CARE, CUSTODY OR CONTROL OF THE
 5        CHILD BE REQUIRED TO REPORT ABUSE, ABANDONMENT OR NEGLECT OF A CHILD.

 6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 7        SECTION 1.  That Section 16-1619, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
 8    amended to read as follows:

 9        16-1619.  REPORTING  OF  ABUSE, ABANDONMENT OR NEGLECT. (a) Any physician,
10    resident on a hospital staff, intern, nurse, coroner, school teacher, day care
11    personnel,   social   worker,      parent,    stepparent,    grandparent,
12    stepgrandparent,  guardian,  anyone  having  care,  custody  or control of the
13    child,  or other person having reason to believe that a child under  the
14    age  of  eighteen  (18)  years  has been abused, abandoned or neglected or who
15    observes the child being subjected to conditions or circumstances which  would
16    reasonably result in abuse, abandonment or neglect shall report or cause to be
17    reported within twenty-four (24) hours such conditions or circumstances to the
18    proper  law  enforcement  agency  or  the  department. The department shall be
19    informed by law enforcement of any report made directly to it. When the atten-
20    dance of a physician, resident, intern, nurse,  day  care  worker,  or  social
21    worker  is pursuant to the performance of services as a member of the staff of
22    a hospital or similar institution, he shall notify the person in charge of the
23    institution or his designated delegate who shall make the necessary reports.
24        (b)  For purposes of  subsection  (c)  of  this  section  the  term  "duly
25    ordained  minister  of  religion"  means a person who has been ordained or set
26    apart, in accordance with the ceremonial, ritual or discipline of a church  or
27    religious  organization which has been established on the basis of a community
28    of religious faith, belief, doctrines and practices, to hear  confessions  and
29    confidential communications in accordance with the bona fide doctrines or dis-
30    cipline of that church or religious organization.
31        (c)  The  notification  requirements  of subsection (a) of this section do
32    not apply to a duly ordained minister of religion, with regard to any  confes-
33    sion  or confidential communication made to him in his ecclesiastical capacity
34    in the course of discipline enjoined by the church to which he belongs if:
35        (1)  The church qualifies as tax-exempt under 26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3);
36        (2)  The confession or confidential communication was made directly to the
37        duly ordained minister of religion; and
38        (3)  The confession or confidential communication was made in  the  manner
39        and  context  which places the duly ordained minister of religion specifi-
40        cally and strictly under a level of  confidentiality  that  is  considered
41        inviolate  by  canon  law or church doctrine. A confession or confidential
42        communication made under any other circumstances does not fall under  this
43        exemption.


                                          2

 1        (d)  Failure to report as required in this section shall be a misdemeanor.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                         STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                               RS 07608
                                   
    
    The legislation amends Idaho Code 16-1619 and puts responsibility on who shall report 
    child abuse, abandonment or neglect. People who have the most trusted relationship with a child 
    as well as a high duty to protect the child are the people who care for them day in and day out. 
    Children must rely on these people to protect them. The philosophy behind this amendment is to 
    clearly state that parents, stepparents, grandparents, step grandparents, guardians, or a person 
    who has primary care and responsibility of a child have a duty to report the abuse rather than 
    silently sit and watch the abuse happen to a child. This legislation will encourage people who are 
    first hand witnesses to child abuse to report that abuse.
    
                              FISCAL NOTE
    
    The amendment has the potential to increase misdemeanor prosecution of those who fail to 
    report child abuse. However, it is anticipated that the number of this type of prosecution will be 
    very few. There will be little increase in any investigation costs because the facts that are 
    investigated and proven in a child abuse case against a defendant are parallel to investigation of 
    those who did not report the abuse. Additionally, by encouraging those who see the child abuse 
    to come forward, there is the potential of preventing costs in the criminal justice system by 
    nipping abuse in the bud rather than waiting for serious injury or death to result.
    
    Contact: Connie Vietz
          #364-2159
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/ FISCAL NOTE
    
    Bill No S 1331