State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Connecticut > Title17a > Chap319a > Sec17a-103

      Sec. 17a-103. (Formerly Sec. 17-38c). Reports by others. False reports. Notification to law enforcement agency. (a) Any mandated reporter acting outside his 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 or oral report to be made to the Commissioner of Children and Families or his representative or a law enforcement agency. The Commissioner of Children and Families or his representative shall use his 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 his representative 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 (c) 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 his representative 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 of Children and Families, or his 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 shall, within twenty-four hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency.

      (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.)

      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.

      Cited. 26 CA 58.