SB 17
CHILD
ABUSE (Spada, R. – R)
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Introduced
to Senate: January 25, 2005
Assigned to Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice (Jordan)
Substitute Bill Passed Senate: March
16, 2005
Introduced to House: March
16, 2005
Assigned to House Judiciary (Willamowski)
Substitute Bill
Passed House: March 29, 2006
Senate concurred in House amendments: March 29, 2006
SIGNED by Governor: May 2, 2006
Effective Date: July 31, 2006
This bill requires a member of the clergy,
rabbi, priest, minister, or any person or layperson acting as a leader,
official, delegate, or other designated function on behalf of any church,
religious society, or faith to report the abuse or neglect of a child if
certain individuals fail to report the abuse or neglect of the child.
The bill:
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provides
a 20-year statute of limitations for civil assault or battery
actions; |
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provides
a period of one to two years, depending on the circumstances, for
filing of assault or battery actions occurring within the preceding
35 years; and |
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expands
the offense the offense of “sexual battery” to also prohibit a
cleric from engaging in sexual conduct with a minor who is a member
of, or attends, the church or congregation served by the cleric. |
PCSAO supports Senate Bill 17 – anytime we can keep a child from being
abused or re-abused that is our mission in
Ohio
. While we support the
language in the bill that requires clerics and other church leaders to
report when they know or reasonably suspect a child is being abused or
neglected by other clerics or church leaders, PCSAO believes this does not
go far enough in protecting and preventing children from being abused or
neglected. As currently
written, SB 17 would not bring Ohio in line with 37 other states that
require clerics or any other person to report known or suspected child
abuse or neglect. If the goal
is to protect children from abuse or neglect in this state, the preferred
option from our perspective is to require clerics or church leaders to be
mandatory reporters of known or suspected child abuse or neglect committed
by any person. |
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