
AB506 – Resources for your House of Worship
Here’s a helpful guide to understanding AB506 for churches and youth service organizations in California. The new California legislation (AB506) requires employees, administrators, and volunteers of youth-serving organizations (including houses of worship, schools, day cares, nonprofits) to complete training in child abuse & neglect reporting and undergo Live Scan background checks.
Like training and background checks, every Youth Service Organization should already have existing policies designed to prevent and correctly respond to child sexual abuse.
Is a House of Worship a “Youth Service Organization”?
Although houses of worship are not clearly defined in the definition of a Youth Service Organization, the law should be interpreted broadly as applicable.
To whom is it applicable?
An administrator or employee of a public or private youth center, youth recreation program, or youth organization. Also, volunteers, however, “volunteer” means a volunteer with the youth service organization who is 18 years of age or older and who has direct contact with, or supervision of, children for more than 16 hours per month or 32 hours per year.
- RECOMMENDATION: We strongly recommend you keep any existing training in place and if you don’t have existing training, we highly recommend MinistrySafe’s training, which includes specific training on spotting groomers. Agency customers receive 50% off here.
- RECOMMENDATION: We strongly recommend you keep any existing background check program in place in addition to the Live Scan requirement. See pages 5-8 of the MinistrySafe article included for reasons why.
- RECOMMENDATION: Assistance with creating and storing policies can be found at: http://ms.ministrysafe.com/ccia or www.safegatherings.com.
Will AB506 affect my insurance? Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. has its own underwriting requirements regarding sexual misconduct prevention and limits of coverage available and offer of binding or renewing coverage. The introduction of CA AB506 has not changed or altered these underwriting requirements.