Code of Alabama
Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1 (2026)
Duties and Responsibilities for Investigation of Reports.
✓ official Alabama Legislature (ALISON) text, current July 2026
The duty and responsibility for the investigation of reports of suspected child abuse or neglect shall be as follows:
(1) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect involving disciplinary or corporal punishment committed in a public or private school or kindergarten shall be investigated by law enforcement agencies.
(2) Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect committed in a state-operated child residential facility shall be investigated by law enforcement agencies.
(3) All other reports of suspected child abuse and neglect shall be investigated by the Department of Human Resources.
(Acts 1993, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 93-890, p. 162, §1.)
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases (5 in the last 5 years), 2014–2026 · leading case: Collier v. Buckner, 303 F. Supp. 3d 1232 (M.D. Ala. 2018).
Collier v. Buckner, 303 F. Supp. 3d 1232 (M.D. Ala. 2018). “Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1 . Pursuant to its statutory authority, DHR has propounded regulations and established procedures for investigation and disposition of child abuse reports and for review, recording, and disclosure of the outcome of child abuse investigations.”
Tomberlin v. Clark, 1 F. Supp. 3d 1213 (N.D. Ala. 2014). “Code § 26-14-6.1 (stating that reports of child abuse in schools or state operated facilities shall be investigated by law enforcement, but “[a]ll other reports of suspected child abuse and neglect shall be investigated by the Department of Human Resources.”
Duran v. Buckner, 157 So. 3d 956 (Ala. Civ. App. 2014). “§ 26-14-6.1, Ala.Code 1975; Ala. Admin. Code (DHR), Rule 660-5-34-.”
M. v. Buckner (M.D. Ala. 2023). “Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1 (3) (1975). Pursuant to its statutory authority, the ADHR has issued regulations and procedures for investigation and disposition of child abuse reports and for review, recording, and disclosure of the outcomes of child abuse investigations.”
F. v. Buckner (CONSENT) (M.D. Ala. 2023). “See Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1 . Through its statutory authority, the Alabama Department of Human Resources has established regulations and procedures for investigating and disposing of child abuse reports and for reviewing, recording, and disclosing the outcomes of investigations.”
P.H. v. Alabama Dep't of Human Resources (Appeal from Montgomery Circuit Court: CV-24-900008). (Ala. Civ. App. 2025). “Pursuant to Ala. Code 1975, § 26-14-6.1(3), the Jefferson County DHR investigated the matter.”
Ex parte M.D.D. PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF Crim. APPEALS (In re: State of Alabama v. M.D.D.) (Blount Circuit Court: CC-10-112.60, CC-10-112.61, CC-10-112.80, & CC-10-112.81; Crim. Appeals: CR-2023-0303). (Ala. 2025). “Section 26-14-6.1, [Ala. Code 1975]. The knowledge of persons intimately connected with the State's case, "such as police, investigative agencies and officers, and all law enforcement agencies which have participated in the investigation or evaluation of the case and regularly…”
Mark Davis v. James DiStephano (11th Cir. 2026). “We decline to consider his newly raised argument that the Alabama Child Abuse Reporting Act, Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1, deprives law enforcement of the authority to inves- tigate child abuse not involving schools or state-operated residential facilities.”
— Ala. Code § 26-14-6.1(3) — 1 case
P.H. v. Alabama Dep't of Human Resources (Appeal from Montgomery Circuit Court: CV-24-900008). (Ala. Civ. App. 2025). “Pursuant to Ala. Code 1975, § 26-14-6.1(3), the Jefferson County DHR investigated the matter.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.