House File 2436 - Introduced HOUSE FILE BY WHITAKER, MURPHY, BUKTA, D. TAYLOR, MERTZ, WHITEAD, LYKAM, SHOMSHOR, REICHERT, PETTENGILL, JACOBY, SWAIM, WISE, PETERSEN, KRESSIG, R. OLSON, BELL, DANDEKAR, SCHUELLER, WENDT, OLDSON, T. TAYLOR, REASONER, and GASKILL Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act requiring certain employees or operators of a licensed 2 substance abuse program or facility to be mandatory reporters 3 of dependent adult abuse and making a penalty applicable. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 6319HH 81 6 jp/sh/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 235B.3, subsection 2, Code 2005, is 1 2 amended by adding the following new paragraph: 1 3 NEW PARAGRAPH. i. An employee or operator of a substance 1 4 abuse program or facility licensed under chapter 125. 1 5 EXPLANATION 1 6 This bill amends Code section 235B.3 to include certain 1 7 employees or operators of a licensed substance abuse program 1 8 or facility in the list of mandatory reporters of dependent 1 9 adult abuse. In order for the requirement for reporting of 1 10 suspected abuse to the department of human services to be 1 11 applicable, the employee or operator must, in the course of 1 12 employment, examine, attend, counsel, or treat a dependent 1 13 adult and reasonably believe the dependent adult has suffered 1 14 abuse. 1 15 Under current law, a mandatory reporter of dependent adult 1 16 abuse who knowingly and willfully fails to report the abuse 1 17 commits a simple misdemeanor and is civilly liable for the 1 18 damages proximately caused by the failure. 1 19 LSB 6319HH 81 1 20 jp:nh/sh/8