State Rep. Angela Rigas today celebrated the passage of her plan to protect the children of Michigan and strengthen employee accountability.

House Bill 5220 would ensure mandated reporters complete training developed by the Department of Health and Human Services at least once every three years, teaching them how to recognize child abuse or neglect as well as the responsibilities required under mandated reporting.

“These are simple yet necessary steps that we can take to make sure that we are doing everything we can to protect children in our state,” said Rigas, R-Caledonia. “We are trusting these adults to work closely with kids on a daily basis, so it’s crucial we make sure that they are actually qualified to look out for the children who truly need our help.”

Rigas praised the victory but emphasized that she’s going to continue the fight to protect children.

“This is an important win for child safety in Michigan, but more has to be done,” Rigas said. “We need to do everything in our power to make sure that we are routinely educating our mandated reporters so we can protect our children and bring abusers to justice.”

House Bill 5220 passed the House on Wednesday with overwhelming support, 108-1.