Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act

Bill: 112-s-1877
Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA]
Introduced: 2011-11-16 in the Senate
Policy area: Families
Subjects: Child safety and welfare
Crime prevention
Crimes against children
Domestic violence and child abuse
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
State and local government operations

Summary:
action_date: 2011-11-16
text: 
Speak Up to Protect Every Abused Kid Act - Amends the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) to specify in the definition of &quot;child abuse or neglect&quot; any deliberate act, on the part of an individual other than a parent or caretaker, that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, or sexual abuse or exploitation, or that presents an imminent risk of serious harm to a child. 
 
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make grants to eligible entities to carry out educational campaigns and provide training regarding state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect. 
Requires the state plan under a grant for child abuse or neglect prevention and treatment programs to contain an assurance in the form of a certification by the state governor that the state has in effect and is enforcing a state law, or has in effect and is operating a statewide program, relating to child abuse and neglect that includes provisions or procedures for an individual to report suspected or known incidents incidents of child abuse or neglect to a state child protective services agencies or to law enforcement agencies, which shall include a state law for mandatory reporting of such agencies, to either type of agency, by any adult. 
Requires the annual state application for a grant for programs relating to investigation and prosecution of child abuse and neglect cases to contain an assurance that the state will train adults who work with children in a professional or volunteer capacity to report suspected and known incidents of child abuse or neglect. Requires the state multidisciplinary task force on children's justice to evaluate the state's efforts to train such adults to report such incidents. 
Requires a state to adopt state task force recommendations in the category of experimental, model, and demonstration programs for testing innovative approaches and techniques that may improve reporting to the state child protective services agencies or to law enforcement agencies of and response to suspected and known incidents of child abuse or neglect by adults. 
Requires a state, to be eligible to receive any form of financial assistance, to include in its plan or application an assurance that the state has in effect a state law for mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect. 
Directs the Secretary of HHS to collect information on and otherwise study the efforts of states relating to state laws for mandatory reporting of incidents of child abuse or neglect in order to assess the implementation of CAPTA. 
Requires an application for a community-based grant to contain an assurance that the state has in effect a state law for mandatory reporting of child abuse or neglect.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-11-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2011-11-16
text: Introduced in Senate