§ 17a-101b — Report by mandated reporter. Notification of law enforcement agency when allegation of sexual abuse or serious physical abuse. Notification of person in charge of institution, facility or school when staff member suspected of abuse or neglect.

Connecticut § 17a-101b

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

Text

(a) An oral or electronic report shall be made by a mandated reporter as soon as practicable but not later than twelve hours after the mandated reporter has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that a child has been abused or neglected or placed in imminent risk of serious harm. An oral report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made by telephone or in person to the Commissioner of Children and Families or a law enforcement agency. If a law enforcement agency receives an oral report, it shall immediately notify the commissioner. An electronic report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. A mandated reporter who makes an electronic report pursuant to this section shall respond to further inquiries from the commissioner or the commissioner's designee made within twenty-four hours of such report. (b) If the commissioner or the commissioner's designee suspects or knows that such person has knowingly made a false report, the identity of such person shall be disclosed to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the perpetrator of the alleged abuse. (c) If the Commissioner of Children and Families, or the commissioner's designee, receives a report alleging sexual abuse or serious physical abuse, including, but not limited to, a report that: (1) A child has died; (2) a child has been sexually assaulted; (3) a child has suffered brain damage or loss or serious impairment of a bodily function or organ; (4) a child has been sexually exploited; or (5) a child has suffered serious nonaccidental physical injury, the commissioner shall, within twelve hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency. (d) Whenever a mandated reporter, as described in section 17a-101 , has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any child has been abused or neglected by a member of the staff of a public or private institution or facility that provides care for such child or a public or private school, the mandated reporter shall report as required in subsection (a) of this section. The Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner's designee shall notify the principal, headmaster, executive director or other person in charge of such institution, facility or school, or the person's designee, unless such person is the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect of such child. In the case of a public school, the commissioner shall also notify the person's employing superintendent. Such person in charge, or such person's designee, shall then immediately notify the child's parent or other person responsible for the child's care that a report has been made. (e) For purposes of this section, “child” includes any victim described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 17a-101a .

Legislative History

(P.A. 96-246, S. 3; P.A. 97-319, S. 10, 22; P.A. 02-138, S. 14; P.A. 11-93, S. 11; P.A. 15-205, S. 3; P.A. 18-67, S. 4.) History: P.A. 97-319 divided existing Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a) and (b) by providing in Subsec. (a) that report be made if there is reasonable cause to suspect or believe abuse rather than if there is a suspicion or belief of abuse and inserted new Subsec. (b) re disclosure of the name of a person who knowingly made a false report, relettering prior Subsec. (b) and (d), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-138 amended Subsec. (a) to decrease the time period for making the required oral report from “within twenty-four hours” to “as soon as practicable but not later than twelve hours” after the reporter has reasonable suspicion or belief of child abuse or neglect and require an oral report whenever there is reasonable suspicion or belief that a child has been “placed in imminent risk of serious harm”, amended Subsec. (b) to replace “his representative” with “the commissioner's designee”, amended Subsec. (c) to decrease from 24 to 12 hours the time period after receipt of the report that the commissioner is required to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency and make technical changes including changes for purposes of gender neutrality, amended Subsec. (d) to provide that the notification of the person in charge of the institution, facility or school be made by the “Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner's designee” rather than by the mandated reporter, add provision that such notice is not required if “such person is the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect of such child” and make technical changes including changes for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 11-93 amended Subsec. (d) by specifying that Commissioner of Children and Families notify the principal, headmaster or executive director of an institution, facility or school and adding requirement that commissioner notify the employing superintendent, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-205 amended Subsec. (d) by making a technical change and added Subsec. (e) re meaning of “child”; P.A. 18-67 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re making electronic report and requiring mandated reporter that makes electronic report to respond to further inquiries from the commissioner within 24 hours of such report, and making conforming changes, effective October 1, 2019.