Bill > SF3969

This bill enhances protections for children by establishing the criminal offense of "grooming," which involves a person 18 or older engaging in a deliberate pattern of conduct to manipulate a child into a false trusting relationship with the intent of future sexual conduct, and also requires law enforcement agencies to notify licensing boards when a teacher is criminally charged with certain offenses or is required to register as a predatory offender. Additionally, the bill mandates that licensing boards, such as the Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, must automatically revoke a teacher's license upon receiving proof of conviction for specific sex offenses or child abuse, and it requires police departments and county sheriffs to inform the relevant licensing board when a teacher is charged with offenses that require predatory offender registration. The bill also updates mandated reporter training to include information on grooming and the reporting of maltreatment involving older students, clarifies that investigations into alleged child maltreatment can occur even if the incident happened more than three years prior, and strengthens penalties for certain sex offenses involving minors, especially when committed by individuals in positions of authority or by licensed educators in schools.