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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Feb 21.
Published in final edited form as: J Am Dent Assoc. 2019 Dec 16;151(2):98–107.e5. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2019.09.010

Table 2.

Protection from Civil and Criminal Liability when Reporting Child Neglect and Sanctions Related to Imprisonment and Fines for Failing to Report Child Neglect by Mandated Reporters in 51 United States Jurisdictions

Jurisdiction Protection from Civil and Criminal Liability Imprisonment Fine


Not Specified 1 day to < 6 months 6 months to < 1 year ≥1 year Not Specified < $1,000 $1,000-$4,999 $5,000-$10,000

AL

AK

AZ

AR

CA

CO

CT

DE

DC

FL

GA

HI

ID

IL

IN

IA

KS

KY

LA

ME

MD

MA

MI

MN

MS

MO

MT

NE

NV

NH

NJ

NM

NY

NC

ND

OH

OK

OR

PA

RI

SC

SD

TN

TX

UT

VT

VA

WA

WV

WI

WY

Total 100% 8% 49% 39% 2% 4% 61% 29% 6%

The reported sanctions pertain only to the first offense for failing to report neglect as a mandated provider.

The sanction for the first offense for failing to report neglect as a mandated provider includes imprisonment up to 5 years in the state of Florida.

The sanctions, including imprisonment and fine, are not specified in the state of Montana.

The sanction related to fines are “what the court fine deems appropriate,” and thereby not specified, in the state of North Carolina.

Both the protections and sanctions for the first offense for failing to report neglect as a mandated provider were confirmed with the Department of Health and Human Services.