Legislation to Prevent Incidents Like at Penn State?

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-- -- took action this week in direct response to Penn State's child sex abuse scandal.

Robert Menendez democratic senator from New Jersey -- -- they care act or child abuse reporting enforcement act a law.

That would make it a felony if incidents are witnessed but not reported to authorities joining us now is -- That sir thank you for your time today welcome.

Good to be with you I'd tell what's wrong with the loss right now what you hope to change through what you're offering.

Well as we saw the outrage that we all collectively have as it relates what happened at Penn State.

It's time to turn our national outrage into national action and so we reviewed.

Across the country.

What is the law and there is a patchwork of laws is no clear consistent -- so our legislation would do the following thing.

He would say if you see something say something so that every person would have a responsibility.

To report an act of child abuse to they would have to reported to police and the Child Protective Services -- that state.

And three the failure to report -- which is what really instigate someone to meet their responsibility if they can't.

Meet their responsibility morally than -- than have a legal responsibility is that the failure to report to the police and Child Protective Services would potentially.

It give you a one year in prison and think.

And -- researched this and looked into putting this together were you surprised as if I was an a lot of folks that I've talked to.

That there aren't these kind of penalties for people who would witnessed something like a child being molested and not.

Call police.

Well yes that's what instigated us when we saw -- the reality of the differences and laws that some states don't have.

An obligation.

To report.

Beyond that to your superior.

Only eighteen states seem to have a direct responsibility to report to law enforcement copper -- to services out of the fifty states of the nation.

So we want to make it crystal clear across the country we want to protect our children.

And the way we do that is to make every individual responsible that if they see any act of child abuse they gonna have to reported to police and Child Protective Services.

And there's a consequences.

Not to do it.

And the way we get states to -- to -- the pass these -- Is is there to fail to pass such laws.

Then they will not have access to a one point five billion dollar social service block grant and we think that that -- really -- states.

In addition to what I believe is -- more responsibility of each of those states to make sure that our children.

Protected to act.

Insert a -- got you ask your impression of what's playing out the super committee a deadline coming Wednesday and we're hearing reports that.

The committee may be absolutely done deadlocked beyond repair at this points.

Well that would be unfortunate some of us have been advocates of not only hitting the one point two trillion dollar mark but to actually having much bigger four trillion dollar.

Mark and we believe that.

You know making.

Ultimately decisions that are balance that we -- spending cuts entitlement changes.

And revenue.

To that larger -- would put the path on to greater economic recovery create confidence.

And help build our economy so.

I'm still hoping that at least they'll hit the one point two trillion dollar cut.

If not we have these -- -- station cuts and it never makes sense that cut across the board.

Instead -- to cut intelligently and to find revenue intelligently.

-- we thank -- For your time we will follow your legislative efforts on preventing child abuse at least getting folks report it and and also went out played out super committee this week senator Menendez thank you.

Thank you good to be with --

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Legislation to Prevent Incidents Like at Penn State?

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