Child abuse reporting.

Existing law generally requires a person who reasonably believes that he or she has observed the commission of a lewd or lascivious act on a child who is under 14 years of age by use of force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and unlawful bodily injury to notify a peace officer. A failure to report pursuant to those provisions is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $1,500, by imprisonment in a county jail for not more than six months, or by both that fine and imprisonment. This bill would require a person to notify a peace officer when the person believes that he or she has observed the commission of a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 14 years of age, regardless of whether force, violence, duress, menace, or fear of immediate and lawful bodily injury is used. By expanding the scope of a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.