The bill requires barbers, hairstylists, cosmetologists, estheticians, and nail technicians, as part of the requirement to renew their professional licenses, to take a one-time training course for one hour on domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. The bill does not impose a mandatory reporting requirement on these professionals and specifically grants them immunity from civil and criminal liability for reporting or failing to report potential domestic violence or sexual assault. The director of the division of professions and occupations in the department of regulatory agencies, in consultation with one or more statewide organization with a primary purpose of serving victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, shall promulgate rules establishing standards for the training course. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
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In current law, several sex-assault-on-a-child crimes are designated 'pattern' offenses, meaning that the defendant has a pattern of sexually assaulting the same child repeatedly. When such assaults occur in more than one jurisdiction, the district attorney in each such jurisdiction must prosecute a case for the incident that occurred in his or her jurisdiction. The bill allows a prosecutor to charge and bring a pattern-offense case for all such assaults in any jurisdiction where one of the acts occurred. The bill allows the prosecution of a defendant charged with sex-assault-on-a-child pattern offense or sex-assault-on-a-child-in-a-position-of-trust pattern offense to be tried: In a county where at least one or more of the incidents of sexual contact occurred; or In a county where an act in furtherance of the offense was committed.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
There is a sunrise review process for groups seeking peace officer status. The bill clarifies that municipalities do not need to go through that process to employ a police force. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill clarifies that the juvenile court (court) has jurisdiction to enter civil protection orders in dependency and neglect actions in the same manner as district and county courts. The court must follow the same procedures for the issuance of the civil protection orders and use standardized forms. Civil protection orders must be entered into the central registry for protection orders and are enforced in the same manner as civil protection orders issued by other courts. If the civil protection order is made permanent, it remains in effect after the termination of the dependency and neglect action. The clerk of the court shall file a certified copy of a permanent civil protection order in an existing district court case, if applicable, or with the county court in the county where the protected party resides. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
Under current law, there is an exception to the hearsay rule for a person with an intellectual and developmental disability if the out-of-court statement relates to certain specified crimes. Current law also provides increased penalties if certain crimes are committed against at-risk persons. The bill clarifies that the hearsay exception applies if the defendant is charged under the increased penalties for crimes against at-risk persons. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)
The bill requires all higher education institutions that receive money from the college opportunity fund (institutions) to adopt policies on sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and hate crimes involving a student, faculty, or staff member consistent with the provisions of the bill. The bill requires the policy to be published in handbooks and on the institution's website. Institutions are required to review and, if necessary, update the policies every 2 years. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)
The bill expands the information that private occupational schools (schools) must provide to prospective students before the student enrolls in a program. The additional information that must be provided is set forth in the bill and includes, in part, program completion rates, post-graduation employment rates, average and median student loan debt, loan repayment rates, and legal barriers to entry into an occupation for which the school provides a training program. The division of private occupational schools in the department of higher education (department) shall collect the data schools are required to provide to prospective students and any other data requested by the department to populate a postsecondary education and training comparative tool (comparative tool) created in the bill. The private occupational school board (board) shall prescribe policies and procedures for the collection of information from the schools. The board may determine a time frame for schools to provide information that is temporarily unavailable and may exempt a school or schools from certain information that is unreasonably burdensome for the school or schools to provide. The bill directs the department to use the information collected from schools to populate the comparative tool. The comparative tool is a free, public, online resource that allows prospective students and interested persons to access information regarding schools to assist in making informed decisions about postsecondary education and training program options in the state. The comparative tool includes, in part, information on career selection and jobs in demand in the future and information relating to schools and programs including program completion rates, employment rates and earnings, and the aggregate amount of student debt. The department shall report to the general assembly concerning implementation of the comparative tool. (Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)