Enacts the child abuse reporting expansion act

S 6919, the "Child Abuse Reporting Expansion Act," requires clergy members to report suspected child abuse or mistreatment when they have reasonable cause to suspect it in their professional capacity (e.g., as spiritual advisors to children or families), expanding the list of mandated reporters under New York’s social services law. However, it explicitly preserves the confidentiality of religious confessions by stating clergy cannot be compelled to report disclosures made during such confidential religious counseling. The bill adds clergy to the existing list of mandatory reporters (including teachers, healthcare workers, and social workers) while creating a clear exception for information received through religious confessions. This policy change directly affects clergy members working with children in professional settings, requiring them to report abuse outside of confidential religious contexts.