The duty of a member of the clergy to report child abuse

has been caused to view or listen to sexual activity; or has been permitted, allowed, or encouraged to engage in prostitution (collectively, sexual abuse), or that such a child has been threatened with sexual abuse and that sexual abuse will likely occur, to immediately report that suspected or threatened sexual abuse to certain county or state agencies or a law enforcement agency. This bill expands this reporting requirement to include physical abuse, not only sexual abuse. Current law similarly requires a member of the clergy who has reasonable cause to suspect that a member of the clergy has sexually abused a child, or that a member of the clergy has threatened to sexually abuse a child and that sexual abuse of the child will likely occur, to immediately report that suspected or threatened sexual abuse to the appropriate county or state agency or a law enforcement agency. This bill expands this reporting requirement to include physical abuse, not only sexual abuse.

Current law provides that a member of the clergy is not required to report information relating to suspected or threatened sexual abuse of a child that he or she receives solely through confidential communications made to him or her privately or in a confessional setting if he or she is authorized to hear or is accustomed to hearing such communications and if, under the disciplines, tenets, or traditions of his or her religion, he or she has a duty or is expected to keep those communications secret. The bill eliminates from the reporting requirement the exception for information obtained through confidential communications.