SB 870 - Accountability, Transparency, and Protection for Exploited Youth Act

• Requires employees, contractors, volunteers, and third parties at state-run juvenile facilities, private contractors, group homes, and county facilities to immediately report sexual misconduct, coercive relationships, or exploitation between staff and juveniles to facility supervisors and the Office of Juvenile System Oversight for independent investigation.

• Creates a felony offense for failing to report such incidents, punishable by up to $5,000 fine and/or up to 2 years imprisonment; requires investigation reports be forwarded to district attorneys and mandates written notification to juvenile victims' families and legislative representatives about investigation status and charging decisions.

• Imposes civil liability exempt from the Governmental Tort Claims Act on individuals who knowingly fail to report misconduct and on the Office of Juvenile Affairs and contracted entities for negligence in preventing, investigating, or responding to reports; permits civil fines up to $50,000 per victim.

• Requires the Office of Juvenile Affairs to provide annual training for all employees, contractors, and volunteers on prevention, identification, and reporting of sexual misconduct; directs the Office of Juvenile System Oversight to submit annual reports to legislative leadership on investigations and corrective actions.

• Modifies juvenile record confidentiality provisions to permit access by law enforcement, parents, guardians, attorneys, court-appointed advocates, and court officers to files involving allegations or findings of physical or sexual violence against minors in custody, with sensitive information redacted.

• Becomes effective November 1, 2025.