The Child Abuse and Neglect Accountability Act of 1993
Note:
 This document is an unofficial version of a Bill or Resolution.
 The printed Bill and Resolution produced by the Government Printing
 Office is the only official version.
VERSION
As Introduced in the House
CONGRESS
103d CONGRESS 1st Session
BILL
H. R. 3588
TITLE
To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to require a
State, in order to be eligible for a grant for child abuse and neglect
prevention and treatment programs, to have in effect a State law
providing for the prosecution of a person who makes a report of child
abuse or neglect without having a reasonable belief that the report is
true, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES NOVEMBER 20, 1993
Mr. Goodling introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Education and Labor
TEXT A BILL
To amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to require a
State, in order to be eligible for a grant for child abuse and neglect
prevention and treatment programs, to have in effect a State law
providing for the prosecution of a person who makes a report of child
abuse or neglect without having a reasonable belief that the report is
true, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the "Child Abuse and Neglect Accountability
Act of 1993".
SEC. 2. ADDITIONAL STATE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS FOR CHILD
ABUSE AND NEGLECT PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMS UNDER CHILD ABUSE
PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ACT.
(a) In General. - Paragraph (1) of section 107(b) of the Child Abuse
Prevention and Treatment Act (42 U.S.C. 5106a(b)(1)) is amended -
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking `; and` and inserting a
semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (B), to read as follows:
`(B)(i) provisions making it a criminal offense under State or local
laws for a person to make a report of child abuse or neglect without
having a reasonable belief that such report is true;
`(ii) provisions increasing the penalties of the criminal offense
described in clause (i) if a person commits such offense with the
intent to expose another person to public hatred, contempt, ridicule,
criminal investigation, or to gain advantage in a civil proceeding;
and
`(iii) provisions for immunity from prosecution under State and local
laws for a person who reports instances of child abuse or neglect,
other than those instances described in clause (i) or (ii), for
circumstances arising from such reporting; and`; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
`(C)(i) provisions making it a criminal offense under State or local
laws for a person to intentionally cause or persuade a child to make
an allegation of child abuse or neglect without having a reasonable
belief that such allegation is true; and
`(ii) provisions increasing the penalties for the criminal offense
described in clause (i) if a person commits such offense with the
intent to expose another person to public hatred, contempt, ridicule,
criminal investigation, or to gain advantage in a civil proceeding;`.
(b) Effective Date. - The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to grants made on or after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
[end]
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