HB 1977 Summary

• Allows mandatory reporters in child protective services, elder protective services, and adult protective services to report reasonable suspicions of animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect to local animal control officers or the state department of agriculture, notwithstanding confidentiality laws.

• Limits animal cruelty reports to disclosing only necessary information to identify the animal's location, status, owner's name, and address.

• Provides immunity from civil or criminal liability for good faith reports of animal cruelty, with a rebuttable presumption of good faith in any liability proceeding.

• Allows animal control officers to report reasonable suspicions of elder abuse or neglect and children's abuse or neglect to protective services agencies.

• Creates new section 210.1075 establishing reporting standards for state-funded child and adult protective services agency employees who observe or have knowledge of animal cruelty, abuse, or neglect.