HB 2798 Summary

• Requires the Department of Human Services to electronically record all child abuse and neglect hotline referrals and retain recordings for 12 months, with recordings confidential and disclosable only by court order.

• Makes it a felony punishable by 2-10 years imprisonment and/or a fine of at least $20,000 for school superintendents and administrators who knowingly and willfully fail to report or interfere with reporting of child abuse and neglect; also requires community service.

• Establishes that school employees must report suspected abuse of students under 18 to both the Department of Human Services and local law enforcement, while reports of abuse of students 18 and older go only to law enforcement.

• Expands the definition of "child abuse and neglect" for school reporting purposes to include 16 specific categories of crimes, including sexual battery by school employees against students aged 16-19.

• Takes effect November 1, 2025.