Child Abuse Reporting Laws for Wyoming

State and Statute: Wyoming, Stats. §§ 14-3-201 et seq.

What Is Reportable "Abuse": Physical, sexual, or mental abuse or neglect. [14-3-202(a)]

"Treatment given in good faith by spiritual means alone, through prayer, by a duly accredited practitioner in accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized church or religious denomination is not child neglect for that reason alone." [14-3-202(a)(vii)]

Mandatory Reporters: "Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected." [14-3-205(a)]

Employers subject to criminal penalties for retaliating against employees who report child abuse. [14-3-205(c)]

"If a person reporting child abuse or neglect is a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility or agency, he shall notify the person in charge or his designated agent as soon as possible, who is thereupon also responsible to make the report or cause the report to be made. Nothing in this subsection is intended to relieve individuals of their obligation to report on their own behalf unless a report has already been made or will be made." [14-3-205(b)]

How and Where to Report: To the local child protective agency or local law enforcement agency. [14-3-206(a)]

Timeline to Report: Immediately. [14-3-206(a)]

Clergy Privilege: "Evidence regarding a child in any judicial proceeding resulting from a [child abuse report] shall not be excluded on the ground it constitutes a privileged communication…claimed under any provision of law other than [the clergy-penitent privilege]." [14-3-210]

Penalty for Knowingly Failing to Report: “Any employer, public or private, who discharges, suspends, disciplines or penalizes an employee solely for making a report of neglect or abuse . . . is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six (6) months, a fine of not more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00), or both.” [14-3-205(c)]

Civil Liability for Failure to Report Recognized? No statute recognizes civil liability. Consult with legal counsel to ensure no recent court decisions in Wyoming have recognized civil liability.

Immunity for Inaccurate Report: "Any person, official, institution or agency participating in good faith … is immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result by reason of the action. For the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good faith of any person, official or institution participating … shall be presumed." [14-3-209]

Disclosure of Mandatory Reporter’s Identity: Records and reports are confidential except as otherwise provided in 14-3-201 to 14-3-215. [14-3-214]