Reporting the results of a religious organization's investigation of sexual contact with a child and providing a penalty

What it would have done

Summary by the Legislative Reference Bureau, the Legislature's nonpartisan drafting office. It's their wording, not ours.

Under current law, members of professions who have contact with children, including those who work for nonprofit organizations, generally must report suspected child abuse or neglect to certain social services or law enforcement agencies. The social services or law enforcement agency must investigate the suspected child abuse or neglect within a specified time.

Under this bill, if after an investigation within a religious organization there is reasonable cause to believe that, before May 1, 2004, and after December 31, 1949, an official, agent, or employee of the organization had sexual contact with a person under the age of 18, the organization must submit a summary of that investigation to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). A religious organization that fails to do so is subject to a forfeiture of up to $10,000. The bill requires DCF to make any summary of the religious organization's investigation available to the public, after deleting any information that could be used to identify any victim of the sexual contact.

Who's behind it

7 representatives are its authors⁠. 5 are Democrats and 2 are Republicans.

1 more lawmaker signed on in support⁠.