Ripples from the Penn State sex abuse scandal have reached the Missouri legislature.  A proposed law requires any witness to child sex abuse to report the incident.
State law now says anyone responsible for caring for children–doctors, nurses, teachers, school officials, and others must report suspicions of child sex abuse.  Senator Eric Schmitt’s bill expands the law to include anyone who witnesses an incident. 
Failure to report could put the witness in jail for a year  with a thousand-dollar fine
Another senator suggests the proposal would be a “sea change” in state law, putting in place a legal concept known as “the duty to rescue,” which is recognized in some other countries but has not been a part of this nation’s laws.
The bill is under study by a senate committee.

AUDIO: committee hearing 22:59