ALBANY (NY)
Troy Record
By: James V. Franco, The Record 05/25/2005
ALBANY - To break the three-year stalemate with the Senate, Assemblyman Jack McEneny, D-Albany, is pushing for a conference committee to sort out differences in legislation that would add members of the clergy to the list of professions that are mandated to report child abuse.
McEneny said the only difference between his bill and the one expected to pass the Senate is that his extends a confidentiality privilege to certain professions like doctors, counselors and nurses.
"Their profession will tell them how to handle the situation," he said. "Their profession does not allow them to ignore the issue, but it does not demand a knee-jerk reaction to pick up the phone and call the police."
The problem with the bill sponsored by Sen. Stephen Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, is if a young person knows the police will automatically get called, he or she may not seek out the necessary help they need, McEneny said.