Oregon Child Abuse Reporting Statute

OREGON REVISED STATTUES

Title 34. Human Services; Juvenile Code; Corrections

Chapter 419B. Juvenile Code: Dependency

Reporting of Child Abuse

419B.010. Duty of officials to report child abuse; exception; violations

(1) Any public or private official having reasonable cause to believe that any child with whom the official comes in contact has suffered abuse or that any person with whom the official comes in contact has abused a child shall immediately report or cause a report to be made in the manner required in ORS 419B.015. Nothing contained in ORS 40.225 to 40.295 or 419B.234 (6) affects the duty to report imposed by this section, except that a psychiatrist, psychologist, member of the clergy, attorney or guardian ad litem appointed under ORS 419B.231 is not required to report such information communicated by a person if the communication is privileged under ORS 40.225 to 40.295 or 419B.234 (6). An attorney is not required to make a report under this section by reason of information communicated to the attorney in the course of representing a client if disclosure of the information would be detrimental to the client.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, a report need not be made under this section if the public or private official acquires information relating to abuse by reason of a report made under this section, or by reason of a proceeding arising out of a report made under this section, and the public or private official reasonably believes that the information is already known by a law enforcement agency or the Department of Human Services.

(3) A person who violates subsection (1) of this section commits a Class A violation. Prosecution under this subsection shall be commenced at any time within 18 months after commission of the offense.