Bill Text: CT HB05037 | 2014 | General Assembly | Chaptered
Bill Title: An Act Concerning Cross Reporting Of Child Abuse And Animal Cruelty.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2014-06-03 - Signed by the Governor [HB05037 Detail]
Download: Connecticut-2014-HB05037-Chaptered.html
Substitute House Bill No. 5037
AN ACT CONCERNING CROSS REPORTING OF CHILD ABUSE AND ANIMAL CRUELTY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 22-329b of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) Any animal control officer appointed pursuant to section 22-328, 22-331 or 22-331a who (1) has reasonable cause to suspect that an animal observed in the course of the officer's employment is being or has been harmed, neglected or treated cruelly in violation of section 53-247, [and] or (2) files a verified petition with the Superior Court pursuant to section 22-329a shall make a written report to the Commissioner of Agriculture in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
(b) The written report shall be made by the officer as soon as practicable, but not later than forty-eight hours after the officer has reasonable cause to suspect that an animal has been harmed, neglected or treated cruelly pursuant to subdivision (1) of subsection (a) of this section or has filed [the] a verified petition. Each written report shall contain, if known: (1) The address where the animal was observed and the name and address of the owner or other person responsible for care of the animal; (2) the name and a description of the animal; (3) the nature and extent of the harm, neglect or cruelty to the animal; (4) the approximate date and time such harm, neglect or cruelty occurred; (5) any information concerning any previous harm to, neglect of or cruelty toward the animal; (6) the circumstances under which such harm, neglect or cruelty came to be known by the officer; and (7) the name and address of every person the officer reasonably suspects to be responsible for such harm, neglect or cruelty.
(c) Not later than November 1, [2011] 2014, and monthly thereafter, the Commissioner of Agriculture shall send a report to the Commissioner of Children and Families containing all of the information received pursuant to subsection (b) of this section during the preceding month.
Sec. 2. Section 17a-106d of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
Not later than one week after receiving a report pursuant to subsection (c) of section 22-329b, as amended by this act, the Commissioner of Children and Families shall determine if any address provided in said report is an address where the Department of Children and Families has [opened an investigation of a child pursuant to a report of abuse or neglect made under this chapter] an open child protective service case. If the commissioner determines that there is an open [investigation of a] child protective service case and the department is currently providing services for a child or youth and his or her family at the same address as an address provided in said report, the commissioner shall provide the department's [investigator] social worker assigned to such child or youth and his or her family with all relevant information from said report. The department shall include the information provided to the [investigator] social worker in the department's record on the child.
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 17a-100a of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2014):
(a) Any employee of the Department of Children and Families who, in the course of his or her employment, has reasonable cause to suspect that an animal is being or has been harmed, neglected or treated cruelly in violation of section 53-247 shall make [an oral] a written report to the Commissioner of Agriculture in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2014) Not later than January 1, 2015, and annually thereafter, the Commissioners of Children and Families and Agriculture shall, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, report to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to children on the number of written reports regarding actual or suspected instances of animal neglect or cruelty received from employees of the Department of Children and Families pursuant to section 17a-100a of the general statutes, as amended by this act, and from animal control officers pursuant to section 22-329b of the general statutes, as amended by this act.