[§349-23]  Retaliatory acts by facilities orfacility employees prohibited.  (a)  No resident of a long-term carefacility seeking advocacy assistance as provided for in section [349-21] ormaking a complaint concerning a long-term care facility or any of its employeesshall be subject to any retaliatory act by the long-term care facility or anyof its employees for seeking advocacy assistance or making a complaint.

(b)  No person seeking advocacy assistance asprovided for in section [349-21] or making a complaint concerning a long-termcare facility or any of its employees on behalf of a resident of a long-termcare facility shall be subject to any retaliatory act by the long-term carefacility or any of its employees for seeking advocacy assistance or making acomplaint.

(c)  For the purposes of this section, the term"retaliatory act" includes actual or threatened physical injury,psychological abuse or neglect, sexual abuse, negligent treatment,maltreatment, or any form of discrimination as reprisal for seeking advocacyassistance or making a complaint.

(d)  A violation of this section shall bereported by the long-term care ombudsman to the appropriate police departmentor prosecuting attorney.

(e)  Any long-term care facility or long-termcare facility employee who violates this section shall be guilty of amisdemeanor.  Each separate retaliatory act and each day during which anyretaliatory act continues shall constitute a separate offense. [L 1979, c 206,§2(3); am L 1982, c 104, §1; am L 2007, c 93, §7]