AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE ON THE PREVENTION OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF CHILDREN.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. (Effective July 1, 2013) (a) There is established a Task Force on the Prevention of Sexual Abuse of Children. The task force, in consultation with the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Social Services, the Department of Correction and the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, shall develop a master plan to reduce the instances of sexual abuse of children by January 1, 2020. Such master plan shall: (1) Adopt and implement policies addressing sexual abuse of children including age appropriate curricula for students in preschool to grade five, inclusive; (2) provide training for school personnel on child sexual abuse; (3) provide educational information to parents or guardians on the warning signs of a child being sexually abused, along with any needed assistance, referral or resource information; (4) provide counseling and resources for any student affected by sexual abuse; (5) provide emotional and educational support for any sexually abused child; (6) develop methods for increasing teacher, student and parent awareness of issues regarding sexual abuse of children, including training such individuals on the recognition of warning signs of sexual abuse; (7) educate any sexually abused child on the availability of assistance and intervention; and (8) provide in-school counseling options for any student having suffered from sexual abuse. The task force may amend such master plan at any time.

(b) The task force shall consist of the following members: (1) The Commissioner of Children and Families, or said commissioner's designee, (2) the Commissioner of Social Services, or said commissioner's designee, (3) the Commissioner of Public Health, or said commissioner's designee, (4) the Commissioner of Education, or said commissioner's designee, (5) the Commissioner of Correction, or said commissioner's designee, (6) the executive director of the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch, or said executive director's designee, (7) the Chief State's Attorney, or said Chief State's Attorney's designee, (8) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the president pro tempore of the Senate, (9) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the speaker of the House of Representatives, (10) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the majority leader of the Senate, (11) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the majority leader of the House of Representatives, (12) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority leader of the Senate, and (13) one member of the public and one member of the General Assembly appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives. All appointments to the task force shall be made not later than July 31, 2013. Any vacancy shall be filled by the appointing authority.

(c) The task force shall: (1) Gather information concerning the sexual abuse of children throughout the state; (2) receive reports and testimony from individuals, state and local agencies, community-based organizations and other public and private organizations; (3) create goals for state policy that would prevent the sexual abuse of children; and (4) advise the General Assembly and Governor concerning the coordination and administration of programs that may prevent the sexual abuse of children within the state.

(d) (1) Not later than July 1, 2014, the task force shall submit the master plan described in subsection (a) of this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes.

(2) Not later than January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter until January 1, 2020, the task force shall submit progress reports on the implementation of the master plan described in subsection (a) of this section and recommendations for implementing said master plan to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a.

(e) The task force shall terminate on January 1, 2020.

Statement of Purpose:

To create a task force to implement various programs and policies in order to decrease the instances of sexual abuse of children within the state.

[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]

S.B. 158