Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 17a-101b (2026)

Report by mandated reporter. Notification of law enforcement agency when allegation of sexual abuse or serious physical abuse. Notification of person in charge of institution, facility or school when staff member suspected of abuse or neglect

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) An oral or electronic report shall be made by a mandated reporter as soon as practicable but not later than twelve hours after the mandated reporter has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that a child has been abused or neglected or placed in imminent risk of serious harm. An oral report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made by telephone or in person to the Commissioner of Children and Families or a law enforcement agency. If a law enforcement agency receives an oral report, it shall immediately notify the commissioner. An electronic report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. A mandated reporter who makes an electronic report pursuant to this section shall respond to further inquiries from the commissioner or the commissioner's designee made within twenty-four hours of such report.

(b) If the commissioner or the commissioner's designee suspects or knows that such person has knowingly made a false report, the identity of such person 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 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 or 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, the commissioner shall, within twelve hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency.

(d) Whenever a mandated reporter, as described in section 17a-101, has reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any child has been abused or neglected by a member of the staff of a public or private institution or facility that provides care for such child or a public or private school, the mandated reporter shall report as required in subsection (a) of this section. The Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner's designee shall notify the principal, headmaster, executive director or other person in charge of such institution, facility or school, or the person's designee, unless such person is the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect of such child. In the case of a public school, the commissioner shall also notify the person's employing superintendent. Such person in charge, or such person's designee, shall then immediately notify the child's parent or other person responsible for the child's care that a report has been made.

(e) For purposes of this section, “child” includes any victim described in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 17a-101a.

(P.A. 96-246, S. 3; P.A. 97-319, S. 10, 22; P.A. 02-138, S. 14; P.A. 11-93, S. 11; P.A. 15-205, S. 3; P.A. 18-67, S. 4.)

History: P.A. 97-319 divided existing Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a) and (b) by providing in Subsec. (a) that report be made if there is reasonable cause to suspect or believe abuse rather than if there is a suspicion or belief of abuse and inserted new Subsec. (b) re disclosure of the name of a person who knowingly made a false report, relettering prior Subsec. (b) and (d), effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 02-138 amended Subsec. (a) to decrease the time period for making the required oral report from “within twenty-four hours” to “as soon as practicable but not later than twelve hours” after the reporter has reasonable suspicion or belief of child abuse or neglect and require an oral report whenever there is reasonable suspicion or belief that a child has been “placed in imminent risk of serious harm”, amended Subsec. (b) to replace “his representative” with “the commissioner's designee”, amended Subsec. (c) to decrease from 24 to 12 hours the time period after receipt of the report that the commissioner is required to notify the appropriate law enforcement agency and make technical changes including changes for purposes of gender neutrality, amended Subsec. (d) to provide that the notification of the person in charge of the institution, facility or school be made by the “Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner's designee” rather than by the mandated reporter, add provision that such notice is not required if “such person is the alleged perpetrator of the abuse or neglect of such child” and make technical changes including changes for purposes of gender neutrality; P.A. 11-93 amended Subsec. (d) by specifying that Commissioner of Children and Families notify the principal, headmaster or executive director of an institution, facility or school and adding requirement that commissioner notify the employing superintendent, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 15-205 amended Subsec. (d) by making a technical change and added Subsec. (e) re meaning of “child”; P.A. 18-67 amended Subsec. (a) by adding provisions re making electronic report and requiring mandated reporter that makes electronic report to respond to further inquiries from the commissioner within 24 hours of such report, and making conforming changes, effective October 1, 2019.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 10 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1998–2021 · leading case: Ward v. Greene, 839 A.2d 1259 (Conn. 2004).

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Ward v. Greene, 839 A.2d 1259 (Conn. 2004). · cites it 2× “to 1997) § 17a-101j (b), which provides: “Whenever a *556 report has been made pursuant to section 17a-101b and section 17a-103 alleging that abuse or neglect has occurred at an institution or facility that provides care for children which is subject to licensure by the state…”

State v. MARK R., 17 A.3d 1 (Conn. 2011). · cites it 3× “General Statutes § 17a-101b (a) permits mandatory reports of abuse to be made either *606 to the commissioner of children and families (commissioner) or to “a law enforcement agency.”

Manifold v. Ragaglia, 862 A.2d 292 (Conn. 2004). · cites it 2× “” General Statutes § 17a-101b (a). The mandated reporter then must submit a written report to the department within forty-eight hours of the oral report.”

Pamela B. v. Ment, 709 A.2d 1089 (Conn. 1998). “Removal of child in imminent risk of harm, (a) Upon receiving a report of child abuse as provided in section 17a-101b, the Commissioner of Children and Families, or his designee, shall cause the report to be classified and evaluated immediately.”

State v. Gene C., 57 A.3d 885 (Conn. App. Ct. 2013). · cites it 2× “Although the department is required to notify law enforcement in certain circumstances; see General Statutes § 17a-101b; that imperative does not transform the department into an arm of law enforcement.”

State v. Peluso, 202 A.3d 1085 (Conn. App. Ct. 2019). · cites it 2× “4 See General Statutes § 17a-101b. 5 On cross-examination, S testified that when she met with prosecutors prior to trial, they informed her that the defendant did not live in the condominium complex when she was in fifth grade.”

Dep't of Child. & Families v. Freedom of Info. Comm'n, 710 A.2d 1378 (Conn. App. Ct. 1998). “ral Statutes § 17a-28 (c) provides: “When information concerning an incident of abuse or neglect has been made public or when the commissioner reasonably believes publication of such information is likely, the commissioner or his designee may disclose, with respect to an…”

Sarah M. S. v. Dep't of Child. & Families, 714 A.2d 1284 (Conn. App. Ct. 1998). · cites it 3× “” General Statutes § 17a-101b (a) provides that if an oral report has been made by a person who is mandated to report neglect or abuse “including, but not limited to, a report that.”

Doe v. Madison, 340 Conn. 1 (Conn. 2021). · cites it 2× “22 General Statutes § 17a-101a (a) (1); see also General Statutes § 17a-101a (b) (providing criminal penalties for failure to report); General Stat- utes § 17a-101b (prescribing content of report, twelve hour reporting deadline from point at which reasonable cause to suspect…”

Lawrence v. Weiner (Conn. App. Ct. 2015). · cites it 3× “’’ General Statutes § 17a-101b (a). Had he waited the two days necessary for the investigation to be completed, he would have violated § 17a-101b (a) and potentially sub- jected himself to criminal prosecution.”

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