§ 12-18-303 - Minimum requirements for a report to be accepted. - Arkansas Statutes

12-18-303. Minimum requirements for a report to be accepted.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the Child Abuse Hotline shall accept a report of child maltreatment or suspected child maltreatment if:

(1) The allegations, if true, would constitute child maltreatment as defined under this chapter;

(2) Sufficient identifying information is provided to identify and locate the child or the child's family; and

(3) The child or the child's family is present in Arkansas or the incident occurred in Arkansas.

(b) If the alleged offender resides in another state and the incident occurred in another state or country, the Child Abuse Hotline shall screen out the report, transfer the report to the Child Abuse Hotline of the state or country where the alleged offender resides or the incident occurred, and, if child protection is an issue, forward the screened-out report to the Department of Human Services.

(c) If the incident occurred in Arkansas and the victim, offender, or victim's parents no longer reside in Arkansas, the Child Abuse Hotline shall accept the report and the Arkansas investigating agency shall contact the other state and request assistance in completing the investigation, including an interview with the out-of-state subject of the report.

(d) (1) If the Child Abuse Hotline receives a report and the alleged offender is a resident of the State of Arkansas and the report of child maltreatment or suspected child maltreatment in the state or country in which the act occurred would also be child maltreatment in Arkansas at the time the incident occurred, the Child Abuse Hotline shall refer the report to the appropriate investigating agency within the state so that the Arkansas investigative agency can investigate alone or in concert with the investigative agency of any other state or country that may be involved.

(2) The Arkansas investigating agency shall make an investigative determination and shall provide notice to the alleged offender that, if the allegation is determined to be true, the offender's name will be placed in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry.

(3) The other state may also conduct an investigation in this state that results in the offender's being named in a true report in that state and placed in the Child Maltreatment Central Registry of that state.