Assembly Bill 506 (AB 506) requires administrators, employees, and regular volunteers of youth service organizations to complete training in child abuse and neglect identification and training in child abuse and neglect reporting, which may be completed through the online mandated reporter training provided by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services. A “youth service organization” is an organization that employs or utilizes the services of persons who, due to their relationship with the organization, are mandated reporters. Mandated reporters include, but are not limited to, individuals in the following positions: teachers; teacher’s aides and assistants; instructional aides; day camp administrators; administrators and employees of youth centers, youth recreation programs, and youth organizations; and licensees, administrators, and employees of licensed community care or child daycare facility. A “regular volunteer” is a volunteer who is 18 years of age or older and who has direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year through their volunteer work with the youth service organization.
AB 506 further requires a youth service organization to develop and implement child abuse prevention policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, both of the following:
- Policies to ensure the reporting of suspected incidents of child abuse to persons or entities outside of the organization, including the mandated reporting required pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA).
- Policies requiring, to the greatest extent possible, the presence of at least two mandated reporters whenever administrators, employees, or volunteers are in contact with, or supervising, children.
AB 506 also requires youth service organizations to complete a background check consistent with Penal Code Section 11105.3 of all administrators, employees, and regular volunteers to identify and exclude any persons with a history of child abuse. The bill further authorizes an insurer to request information from a youth service organization demonstrating compliance with the requirements of AB 506 before writing liability insurance for the youth service organization.
AB 506 takes effect on January 1, 2022.
(AB 506 adds Section 18975 to the Business and Professions Code.)
