HB604 Alabama 2012 Session

Under existing law, all hospitals, clinics, sanitariums, doctors, physicians, surgeons, medical examiners, coroners, dentists, osteopaths, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, nurses, school teachers and officials, peace officers, law enforcement officials, pharmacists, social workers, day care workers or employees, mental health professionals, members of the clergy as defined in Rule 505 of the Alabama Rules of Evidence, or any other person called upon to render aid or medical assistance to any child, when the child is known or suspected to be a victim of child abuse or neglect, are required to report, or cause a report to be made of the same, to a duly constituted authority

This bill would provide that anyone with a duty to report known or suspected child abuse shall directly report to a duly constituted authority

To amend Section 26-14-3, Code of Alabama 1975, relating to mandatory reporting of child abuse; to provide that individuals mandated to report child abuse under the mandatory child abuse reporting provisions shall directly report to a duly constituted authority.