§ 17a-101a — Report of abuse, neglect or injury of child or imminent risk of serious harm to child. Factors for mandated reporter's suspicion or belief; preliminary inquiries.

Connecticut § 17a-101a

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 17a: Social and Human Services and Resources
• Ch. 319a: Child Welfare

Text

(a)(1) Any mandated reporter, as described in section 17a-101, who in the ordinary course of such person's employment or profession has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any child under the age of eighteen years (A) has been abused or neglected, as described in section 46b-120, (B) has had nonaccidental physical injury, or injury which is at variance with the history given of such injury, inflicted upon such child, or (C) is placed at imminent risk of serious harm, or (2) any school employee, as defined in section 53a-65, who in the ordinary course of such person's employment or profession has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any person who is being educated by the Technical Education and Career System, a local or regional board of education, other than as part of an adult education program, or a nonpublic school, is a victim under the provisions of section 53a-70, 53a-70a, 53a-71, 53a-72a, 53a-72b or 53a-73a, and the perpetrator is a school employee shall report or cause a report to be made in accordance with the provisions of sections 17a-101b to 17a-101d, inclusive. (b) For purposes of this section and section 17a-101b , a mandated reporter's suspicion or belief may be based on factors including, but not limited to, observations, allegations, facts or statements by a child, victim, as described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, or third party. Such suspicion or belief does not require certainty or probable cause. Nothing in this section shall preclude a mandated reporter from conducting a preliminary inquiry to determine if reasonable cause exists for such mandated reporter to make a report pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

Legislative History

(P.A. 96-246, S. 2; P.A. 97-319, S. 9, 22; P.A. 98-241, S. 3, 18; P.A. 02-106, S. 4; 02-138, S. 13; P.A. 11-93, S. 8; P.A. 12-82, S. 9; P.A. 13-297, S. 2; P.A. 15-205, S. 2; P.A. 17-237, S. 95, 96; P.A. 24-41, S. 40.) History: P.A. 97-319 added provision requiring report for any child that has been abused rather than for any child in danger of being abused, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-241 added “or is placed at imminent risk of serious harm by an act or failure to act on the part of such responsible person”, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 02-106 increased the penalty for failing to report from not more than $500 to not less than $500 nor more than $2,500 and made technical changes for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 02-138 inserted Subdiv. indicators, repositioned language re reporting of neglect, required reporting by a mandated reporter when reasonable suspicion or belief arose “in the ordinary course of such person's employment or profession” rather than “in his professional capacity”, amended Subdiv. (2) to delete provision that limited reporting to injuries inflicted “by a person responsible for such child's health, welfare or care or by a person given access to such child by such responsible person”, amended Subdiv. (3) to delete provision that limited reporting to when a child is placed at imminent risk of harm “by an act or failure to act on the part of such responsible person” and added requirement that a mandated reporter who fails to report participate in an educational and training program pursuant to Sec. 17a-101(d); P.A. 11-93 added provision re imposition of fine where person fails to report within required time period and added requirement that commissioner notify Chief State's Attorney of failure to report, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 12-82 designated existing provisions as Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c) and, in Subsec. (b), replaced “pursuant to subsection (d) of section 17a-101” with provision re program provided by private organizations approved by commissioner with program fees subject to commissioner's approval; P.A. 13-297 amended Subsec. (b) by changing penalty for failure to report from “fined not less than five hundred dollars or more than two thousand five hundred dollars” to “guilty of a class A misdemeanor”; P.A. 15-205 amended Subsec. (a) by designating existing provisions re mandated reporter as new Subdiv. (1) and adding new Subdiv. (2) re school employee, amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provision re failure to make report as Subdiv. (1) and amending same to add exception re class E felony, adding Subdiv. (2) re interference with making of report and designating existing provision re education and training program as Subdiv. (3), added Subsec. (d) re mandated reporter's suspicion or belief, and made technical changes; P.A. 17-237 amended Subsecs. (a)(1) and (b)(2) by replacing “technical high school system” with “Technical Education and Career System”, effective July 1, 2017; P.A. 24-41 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding “or a nonpublic school,”, deleted former Subsec. (b) re penalty for failure to report, deleted former Subsec. (c) re prompt notification of Chief State's Attorney when reason to believe person has failed to make a report, and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as Subsec. (b) and amended same by adding provision re conducting preliminary inquiry to determine if reasonable cause exists to make a report, effective July 1, 2024.