Appendix 2: Legislative Mandate ¹ :

SECTION 34. Chapter 431 of the acts of 2014 (as amended): AN ACT ESTABLISHING A TASK FORCE TO PROTECT MASSACHUSETTS CHILDREN AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:

There shall be a task force on child sexual abuse prevention. The task force shall be co-chaired by the child advocate and the executive director of the Children’s Trust and shall include: the attorney general or a designee; the lieutenant governor or a designee; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or a designee; the commissioner of public health or a designee; the commissioner of early education and care or a designee; the commissioner of children and families or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts office of victim assistance or a designee; the executive director of the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association or a designee; the director of the victim services unit of the sex offender registry board or a designee; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education or a designee; and representatives from each of the following child and youth service providers and advocacy organizations who shall be appointed by the governor: the Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs, Inc.; the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance, Inc.; the Massachusetts Citizens for Children, Inc.; the Children’s League of Massachusetts, Inc.; The Mass Mentoring Partnership, Inc.; the Girl Scouts; the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, Inc.; the Massachusetts Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, Inc.; the Massachusetts After School Partnership, Inc.; the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston; and the Massachusetts Adolescent Sexual Offender Coalition, Inc. The governor may appoint additional representatives from agencies serving children, law enforcement, religious organizations and others as necessary to fulfill the purpose of the task force.

The task force shall develop guidelines and tools for the development of sexual abuse prevention and intervention plans by organizations serving children and youths.  The task force shall recommend policies and procedures for implementation and oversight of the guidelines as well as strategies for incentivizing such organizations to develop and implement sexual abuse prevention and intervention plans.  The task force shall also develop a 5-year plan for using community education and other strategies to increase public awareness about child sexual abuse, including how to recognize signs, minimize risk and act on suspicions or disclosures of such abuse.

The task force shall periodically report on its activities and recommendations to the governor, the clerks of the house of representatives and senate, and the chairs of the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities and shall submit a final report on or before June 30, 2017.

¹ See: (https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2014/Chapter431)