The proposed bill would amend Section 13-3620 of the Arizona Revised Statutes by adding a new requirement for individuals with a duty to report suspected abuse or neglect of minors. Specifically, it mandates that such individuals who have direct knowledge of the abuse or neglect must report it immediately to the Department of Child Safety and cannot delegate this responsibility to another person. This insertion aims to strengthen the reporting obligations to ensure timely intervention in cases of child abuse or neglect.

Additionally, the bill makes several modifications to existing language by deleting certain subsections and updating the references to others. For instance, it replaces the current subsections labeled "K" and "M" with "L" and "N," respectively, while also removing the previous "N" and "Q" subsections. The penalties for failing to report are clarified, maintaining that a violation is a class 1 misdemeanor, escalating to a class 6 felony if it involves a reportable offense. Overall, these changes aim to enhance the clarity and effectiveness of the reporting process for child abuse and neglect cases.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 13-3620