Committee hears bill to expand mandated reporters and create secure reporting portal

Representative Camp explained that HB 1409 adds two categories of mandated reporters — firefighters and animal-control officers — and would create a secure, web-based platform that mandated reporters could use to submit time‑stamped reports. "This bill gives a couple of updates. Number 1, it adds, 2 new mandated reporters to the list, and these include firefighters and also animal control," Representative Camp said, and described the platform as an upgrade to enable better tracking and interoperability with law-enforcement systems.

Senator Robertson asked whether the platform exists; Representative Camp said similar systems exist in some state or county agencies and that the platform would likely be procured via an RFP. During Q&A Representative Camp cited funding in the supplemental budget, saying, "I think $3,000,000 was allocated for" the platform; other committee members said they had seen numbers as high as $15,000,000 and asked about possible duplication of existing systems.

Tripp Richardson of Frontline Policy offered brief support, saying the bill "strengthens Georgia's child protection laws and adds individuals that often come into contact with our children under mandatory reporting requirements" and asked for favorable consideration. Regina Quigg (speaker 13) noted that changing the mandatory reporter list in child welfare also affects the Division of Aging Services because of statutory cross-references and said the department currently receives about 2,400 faxed reports a year; she described the existing portal and said the bill's version incorporates suggested departmental tweaks.

Chair and sponsor said interested parties were coordinating with legislative counsel and planned to place the bill first on the Wednesday agenda for follow-up; the committee indicated the forthcoming meeting would be limited to technical tweaks and that no further testimony would be required if the changes are minor.

Next steps: Representative Camp and parties will continue to work with legislative counsel and the relevant agencies; the bill is scheduled for follow-up on the committee's Wednesday agenda.