Child abuse: mandated reporters: talent agents, managers, and coaches.

Led by Assembly Members Lackey and Blanca Rubio, with Senator Grove as principal coauthor, The Child Abuse Mandated Entertainment Reporter Act weaves a new thread into California’s mandated reporting framework by including talent agents, talent managers, and talent coaches who serve minors as a category of reporters, subject to the same reporting duties that apply to other professionals with knowledge or reasonable suspicion of abuse or neglect.

The core change adds a new item to the list of mandated reporters and preserves the existing consequences for failing to report, namely a misdemeanor with potential confinement of up to six months and/or a $1,000 fine. The amendments are structured in multiple sections that mirror companion bills, and their operative effect is deliberately conditional—taking effect only if certain sequencing and enactment conditions related to companion legislation are met. The bill also brands the act as CAMERA and links the new reporting duties to the broader duties of mandated reporters, including training requirements for employers and reporters.

Key mechanisms include training and implementation provisions designed to align the newly designated reporters with ongoing requirements for identification and reporting of child abuse and neglect. Training may be satisfied, in some contexts, by the general mandated-reporter online course administered by the state’s child abuse prevention office. Employers with mandated reporters are responsible for ensuring training is provided, and the act contemplates annual or periodic training in various settings, with references to existing cross-references for school districts, childcare facilities, and related entities. As a phased element, private schools would be required to train staff commencing in mid-2026, contingent on the operative framework established by the companion bills.

From a fiscal and policy standpoint, the measure designates the new reporting category as a state-mandated local program, with a no-reimbursement clause for local agencies or school districts. This signals that local entities would bear implementation costs without state reimbursement, reflecting a layered approach to training delivery and compliance tracking. The bill’s operative timing hinges on the enactment and sequencing of companion legislation, raising considerations for when and how entertainment-industry employers and local agencies would begin to implement the new duties and training obligations.