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An Act To Improve the Reporting of Child Abuse
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 22 MRSA §4011-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 211, Pt. B, §18 and PL 2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §5, is further amended to read:
 
1. Required report to department.   The following adult persons shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the department when the person knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected or that a suspicious child death has occurred:
 
A. When acting in a professional capacity:
 
(1) An allopathic or osteopathic physician, resident or intern;
 
(2) An emergency medical services person;
 
(3) A medical examiner;
 
(4) A physician's assistant;
 
(5) A dentist;
 
(6) A dental hygienist;
 
(7) A dental assistant;
 
(8) A chiropractor;
 
(9) A podiatrist;
 
(10) A registered or licensed practical nurse;
 
(11) A teacher;
 
(12) A guidance counselor;
 
(13) A school official;
 
(14) A youth camp administrator or counselor;
 
(15) A social worker;
 
(16) A court-appointed special advocate or guardian ad litem for the child;
 
(17) A homemaker;
 
(18) A home health aide;
 
(19) A medical or social service worker;
 
(20) A psychologist;
 
(21) Child care personnel;
 
(22) A mental health professional;
 
(23) A law enforcement official;
 
(24) A state or municipal fire inspector;
 
(25) A municipal code enforcement official;
 
(26) A commercial film and photographic print processor;
 
(27) A clergy member acquiring the information as a result of clerical professional work except for information received during confidential communications;
 
(28) A chair of a professional licensing board that has jurisdiction over mandated reporters;
 
(29) A humane agent employed by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry;
 
(30) A sexual assault counselor;
 
(31) A family or domestic violence victim advocate; and
 
(32) A school bus driver or school bus attendant;
 
B. Any person who has assumed full, intermittent or occasional responsibility for the care or custody of the child, regardless of whether the person receives compensation; and
 
C. Any person affiliated with a church or religious institution who serves in an administrative capacity or has otherwise assumed a position of trust or responsibility to the members of that church or religious institution, while acting in that capacity, regardless of whether the person receives compensation.
 
Whenever a person is required to report in a capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or public or private institution, agency or facility, that person immediately shall notify either the person in charge of the institution, agency or facility or a designated agent who then shall cause a report to be made. The staff also may make a report directly to the department.
 
SUMMARY
This bill amends the law regarding mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect and of the suspicious death of a child by striking language allowing those reporters to cause someone else to make a report. Language requiring the individual mandated reporter to make a report is retained.