§ 17a-103 — (Formerly Sec. 17-38c). Reports by others. False reports. Notification to law enforcement agency.

Connecticut § 17a-103

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

Text

(a) Any mandated reporter acting outside his or her professional capacity and any other person having reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any child under the age of eighteen is in danger of being abused, or has been abused or neglected, as defined in section 46b-120, may cause a written, oral or electronic report to be made to the Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner's designee or a law enforcement agency. An electronic report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall use his or her best efforts to obtain the name and address of a person who causes a report to be made pursuant to this section. In the case of an oral report, such report shall be recorded on tape and the commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall announce to the person making such report that such report is being recorded and shall state the penalty for knowingly making a false report of child abuse or neglect under subsection (d) of section 17a-101e. (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 17a-101k , if the identity of any such person who made a report pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is known, and the commissioner or the commissioner's designee suspects or knows that such person has knowingly made a false report, such identity shall be disclosed to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the perpetrator of the alleged abuse. (c) If the commissioner, 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, 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, he or she shall, within twenty-four hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency.

Legislative History

(P.A. 73-205, S. 3; P.A. 75-420, S. 4, 6; P.A. 77-308, S. 3, 4; 77-614, S. 521, 610; P.A. 79-631, S. 62, 111; P.A. 93-91, S. 1, 2; P.A. 96-246, S. 7; P.A. 97-319, S. 17, 22; P.A. 12-82, S. 13; P.A. 16-28, S. 30; P.A. 18-67, S. 7.) History: P.A. 75-420 replaced welfare commissioner with commissioner of social services; P.A. 77-308 referred to suspicion of abuse or neglect and required report of cases where there is “danger” of abuse or neglect as well as actual abuse or neglect; P.A. 77-614 replaced social services commissioner with commissioner of human resources, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-631 replaced human resources commissioner with commissioner of children and youth services; Sec. 17-38c transferred to Sec. 17a-103 in 1991; P.A. 93-91 substituted commissioner and department of children and families for commissioner and department of children and youth services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 96-246 changed “shall immediately” to “as defined in section 46b-120, may”, deleted language re contents of written or oral report, investigation and immunity and added language requiring Commissioner of Children and Families to use best efforts to obtain identity of reporters; P.A. 97-319 designated existing section as Subsec. (a) and applied Subsec. (a) to any mandated reporter acting outside of professional capacity and added new Subsec. (b) re disclosure of name of person who knowingly made a false report and new Subsec. (c) re modification within 24 hours of receipt of report, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 12-82 made a technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 16-28 made technical changes; P.A. 18-67 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “written or oral report” to “written, oral or electronic report” and adding provision re electronic reports to be made in a manner prescribed by commissioner, and replacing “representative” with “designee”, effective October 1, 2019. Cited. 26 CA 58.