HB0316 - Abuse reporting.
2001 |
State of Wyoming |
01LSO-0603 |
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0316
Abuse reporting.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Robinson, Meyer, Rose and
Wasserburger and
Senator(s) Job and Sessions
A BILL
for
1 AN ACT relating to
reporting of abuse; providing for the
2 reporting
of abuse as specified; providing immunity; and
3
providing for an effective date.
4
5 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
6
7 Section
1. W.S. 20-2-201 by creating a new subsection
8
(g) and 35-20-103(a) are amended to read:
9
10 20-2-201. Disposition and maintenance
of children in
11 decree or order; access to records; abuse reporting.
12
13 (g) Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to
14 believe
or suspect that a child has been abused or
15 neglected
or who observes any child being subjected to
16 conditions
or circumstances that would reasonably result in
Page 1
1 abuse or neglect, shall immediately report it to the child
2 protective agency or local law
enforcement agency or cause
3 a report to be made. If a person
reporting child abuse or
4 neglect is a member of the staff of a
medical or other
5 public or private institution, school,
facility or agency,
6 he shall notify the person in charge
or his designated
7 agent as soon as possible, who is
thereupon also
8 responsible to make the report or
cause the report to be
9 made. Nothing in this subsection is
intended to relieve
10 individuals
of their obligation to report on their own
11 behalf
unless a report has already been made or will be
12 made.
Any person, official, institution or agency
13 participating
in good faith in any act required by this
14 subsection
is immune from any civil or criminal liability
15 that
might otherwise result by reason of the action. For
16 the
purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good
17 faith
of any person, official, institution or agency
18 participating
in any act permitted or required by this
19 subsection
shall be presumed.
20
21 35-20-103. Reports of abuse, neglect or
exploitation
22 of disabled adult; reports maintained in central registry.
23
Page 2
1 (a) Any person
who knows or has reasonable cause to
2
believe or suspect that a disabled
adult has been or is
3 being abused, neglected, exploited or abandoned
shall
4 immediately report the facts to the sheriff's
department,
5 the
local police department or the division. If a person
6 reporting the abuse or neglect is a member of the staff of
7 a medical or other public or private institution, school,
8 facility or agency, he shall notify the person in charge or
9 his designated agent as soon as possible, who is thereupon
10
also responsible to make the report or cause
the report to
11
be made.Nothing
in this subsection is intended to relieve
12
individuals of their obligation to report on
their own
13
behalf unless a report has already been made
or will be
14
made. Anyone whoAny person, official, institution or
15 agency
participating in good faith makes a report pursuant
16 to this section is immune from civil or criminal liability
17 for that might otherwise result by reason of making
the
18 report. For the
purpose of any civil or criminal
19 proceeding, the
good faith of any person, official,
20 institution or
agency making the report pursuant to this
21 section shall be
presumed.
22
Page 3
1 Section 2. This act is effective July 1, 2001.
2
3 (END)
Page 4