Vermont lawmaker to seek to close clergy reporting exemption

By WILSON RING
Associated Press

The head of the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee says he’s going to introduce a bill in the upcoming legislative session to close an exemption to child abuse and neglect reporting laws for members of the clergy. Democratic Sen. Richard Sears of Bennington says he was unaware of the exemption in Vermont’s mandated reporting law until he learned of it through a story published earlier this year by The Associated Press. An AP investigation found that Vermont is one of 33 states that have laws that exempt clergy from reporting alleged child sexual abuse if the information is considered privileged, such as during confession. Vermont clergy members are considered mandated abuse reporters, but the law contains the privilege exemption.