REPORTING ON ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE IN MILITARY FAMILIES AND HOMES.

SEC. 575. [10 U.S.C. 1787 note] REPORTING ON ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE IN MILITARY FAMILIES AND HOMES. (a) Reports to Family Advocacy Program Offices.— (1) In general.—The following information shall be reported immediately to the Family Advocacy Program office at the military installation to which the member of the Armed Forces concerned is assigned: (A) Credible information (which may include a reasonable belief), obtained by any individual within the chain of command of the member, that a child in the family or home of the member has suffered an incident of child abuse. (B) Information, learned by a member of the Armed Forces engaged in a profession or activity described in section 226(b) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13031(b)) for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents, that gives reason to suspect that a child in the family or home of the member has suffered an incident of child abuse. (2) Regulations.—The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security (with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) shall jointly prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection. (3) Child abuse defined.—In this subsection, the term “child abuse” has the meaning given that term in section 226(c) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13031(c)). (b) Reports to State Child Welfare Services.—Section 226 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 13031) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting “ and to the agency or agencies provided for in subsection (e), if applicable” before the period; (2) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively; and (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection (e): “(e) Reporters and Recipient of Report Involving Children and Homes of Members of the Armed Forces. “(1) Recipients of reports. In the case of an incident described in subsection (a) involving a child in the family or home of member of the Armed Forces (regardless of whether the incident occurred on or off a military installation), the report required by subsection (a) shall be made to the appropriate child welfare services agency or agencies of the State in which the child resides. The Attorney General, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security (with respect to the Coast Guard when it is not operating as a service in the Navy) shall jointly, in consultation with the chief executive officers of the States, designate the child welfare service agencies of the States that are appropriate recipients of reports pursuant to this subsection. Any report on an incident pursuant to this subsection is in addition to any other report on the incident pursuant to this section. “(2) Makers of reports. For purposes of the making of reports under this section pursuant to this subsection, the persons engaged in professions and activities described in subsection (b) shall include members of the Armed Forces who are engaged in such professions and activities for members of the Armed Forces and their dependents.” .