Mandated Child Abuse Reporting Employee Training Act of 2016.

Existing law establishes the California Community Colleges, under the administration of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, as one of the segments of public postsecondary education in this state. Existing law establishes community college districts throughout the state, and authorizes them to operate campuses and provide instruction to students. The Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act requires a mandated reporter, which includes a specified employee or administrator of a community college district, to report whenever he or she, in his or her professional capacity or within the scope of his or her employment, has knowledge of or has observed a child whom the mandated reporter knows or reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or neglect. This bill would establish the Mandated Child Abuse Reporting Employee Training Act of 2016, which would require each governing board of a community college district to: (1) annually train, using the online training module developed by the State Department of Education, or other training, as specified, employees and administrators of the district who are mandated reporters on the mandated reporting requirements, as specified; (2) develop a process for those persons required to receive training under the bill to provide proof of completing this training within the first 6 weeks of each academic year or within 6 weeks of that person's employment; and (3) develop a process to identify the students who are minors enrolled in classes at the community college district and provide that information only to faculty members and other employees who are mandated reporters, as specified. The bill would provide that a person employed by more than one community college district or by more than one college in a single community college district is only required to receive the required training one time in each academic year. By imposing new duties on community college districts, this 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, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.