Plain English Breakdown
The official text states training 'may be made available,' which implies it might not be mandatory for every single reporter in the county, but protection requires completion of that specific training.
Los Angeles Child Abuse Reporting Pilot Program
This law creates a two-year test program in Los Angeles that lets trained professionals use an online tool to decide if they must report suspected child abuse instead of calling immediately.
What This Bill Does
- Authorizes the County of Los Angeles to run a pilot program from January 1, 2026, through October 31, 2028.
- Requires new training for mandated reporters in Los Angeles as part of the test.
- Creates an online decision-support tool that recommends whether or not to report suspected abuse.
- Prohibits the use of predictive analysis within the decision-support tool.
- Protects trained reporters from legal penalties if they follow the tool's recommendation instead of making a phone call.
Who It Names or Affects
- Mandated reporters in Los Angeles County, such as health practitioners and social workers.
- Supervisors, employers, or principals of mandated reporters who use the new system.
- The State Department of Social Services, which helps develop the online tool.
Terms To Know
- Mandated reporter
- A professional required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
- Decision-support tool
- An online program that gives advice on whether a situation requires an official report.
- Predictive analysis
- Using data to guess future events, which this bill bans for the reporting tool.
Limits and Unknowns
- The law only applies in Los Angeles County and does not change rules for other counties.
- Special protections apply only if a reporter completes training, uses the tool, and follows its advice.
- All provisions of this bill automatically stop working on January 1, 2030.