CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA
Lawmakers in West Virginia will get back to work at the State Capitol on Wednesday as the 2012 Legislative Session officially gets underway.
Several hot topics and issues will be discussed during this session, including protecting children.
Prevent Child Abuse West Virginia (PCAWV) sponsored a breakfast on Tuesday morning to talk about a piece of legislation that would increase funding for prevention when it comes to sexual abuse against children.
Organizers say they’re urging lawmakers to adopt the legislation in response to the recent child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State.
PCAWV is calling on lawmakers to adopt a bill that would increase funding for prevention programs and training, as well as expanded requirements for reporting suspected abuse and increase penalties for failing to report abuse.
The legislation proposed would increase the penalty for failing to report from $100 to $1,000. Right now, a person convicted of this crime also faces 10 days in jail.
The proposed law would include anyone who deals with children, including teachers, youth camp counselors, coaches and medical and religious personnel.
Jetta Bernier was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s breakfast. She is a national expert on policies to prevent child sexual abuse. She also directs the Enough Abuse Campaign initiative out of Massachusetts to prevent child sexual abuse.
