CHILDREN/ABUSE: Provides relative to mandatory reporters of child abuse
HB 451 clarifies who must report suspected child abuse by expanding the definition of "teaching or child care provider" to include school resource officers, bus drivers, coaches, and other school staff. It requires school resource officers to immediately notify law enforcement or child welfare authorities if they suspect abuse, and mandates their employers to assign the investigation to the appropriate officer. The bill directly affects school staff, child care providers, and law enforcement agencies in handling abuse reports. This is a procedural update to existing reporting requirements, not a new policy, and it is currently pending in the legislature after passing committee.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
Jun 2025
Senate Passage
Jun 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Apr 4, 2025
Signed Jun 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
HB451 Original
→
HB451 Act
·
3 edits
MINOR
This bill amends the Children's Code to clarify the role of school resource officers (SROs) as mandatory reporters of child abuse. It requires SROs to immediately notify law enforcement or child protective services if they suspect abuse, removing a previous restriction that prevented them from receiving reports from other mandatory reporters. The change ensures that SROs can participate fully in the investigation process rather than being barred from accessing critical information.
Scope change
The bill expands the operational scope of school resource officers by allowing them to receive information from other mandatory reporters and to conduct or oversee investigations into child abuse reports, whereas previously they were prohibited from doing so.
REQUIREMENT
Removed the prohibition preventing school resource officers from receiving information from other mandatory reporters or overseeing investigations into those reports.
Clarified that when a school resource officer suspects child abuse, they must immediately notify their employing law enforcement agency or the Department of Children and Family Services.
DEFINITION
Updated the definition of 'mandatory reporter' to explicitly include school resource officers and clarify their specific reporting obligations.
Floor votes · Senate Jun 1, 2025 · House May 7, 2025
How they voted
34–0
Passed · 3 other
Total votes 37
Jun 1, 2025
D
Democratic11
100% Yea
R
Republican26
88% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
21
Key actions
5
Committee
5
Jun 3, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read by title, roll called, yeas 89, nays 0, Senate amendments concurred in.
lower
Jun 1, 2025
Upper · Passed
The amended bill was read by title, passed by a vote of 36 yeas and 0 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.
upper
May 27, 2025
Committee
Committee amendments read and adopted. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.
upper
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Rules suspended. Reported with amendments.
upper
May 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 95, nays 0. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably (14-0).
lower
Apr 14, 2025
Committee
Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
Apr 4, 2025
Committee
Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare.
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Tony Bacala
RRepublican
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