Reporting of brutality, abuse, neglect or child sexual abuse – Notification to parents of abuse on school grounds or under school supervision – Confidentiality of records

(a) (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.Minor: means any person who has not attained eighteen (18) years of age. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Report of harm: means a report filed under §. See Tennessee Code 37-1-401Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105Severe child abuse: means : (A)(i) The knowing exposure of a child to or the knowing failure to protect a child from abuse or neglect that is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death and the knowing use of force on a child that is likely to cause serious bodily injury or death. See Tennessee Code 37-1-102sex: means a person's immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a person's biological sex. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105(1) Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicate that it has been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect or that, on the basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse or neglect. (2) Any such person with knowledge of the type of harm described in this subsection (a) shall report it, by telephone or otherwise, to the: (A) Judge having juvenile jurisdiction over the child; (B) Department, in a manner specified by the department, either by contacting a local representative of the department or by utilizing the department’s centralized intake procedure, where applicable; (C) Sheriff of the county where the child resides; or (D) Chief law enforcement official of the municipality where the child resides. (3) If any such person knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been sexually abused, the person shall report such information in accordance with § 37-1-605, relative to the sexual abuse of children, regardless of whether such person knows or believes that the child has sustained any apparent injury as a result of such abuse. (b) The report shall include, to the extent known by the reporter, the name, address, telephone number and age of the child, the name, address, and telephone number of the person responsible for the care of the child, and the facts requiring the report. The report may include any other pertinent information. (c) (1) If a law enforcement official or judge becomes aware of known or suspected child abuse, through personal knowledge, receipt of a report, or otherwise, such information shall be reported to the department immediately upon the receipt of such information, and, where appropriate, the child protective team shall be notified to investigate the report for the protection of the child in accordance with this part. Further criminal investigation by such official shall be appropriately conducted in coordination with the team or department to the maximum extent possible. (2) A law enforcement official or judge who knows or becomes aware of a person who is convicted of a violation of § 55-10-401 and sentenced under § 55-10-402(b), because such person was at the time of the offense accompanied by a child under eighteen (18) years of age, shall report such information, as provided in subdivision (c)(1), and the department shall consider such information to be appropriate for investigation in the same manner as other reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. (3) (A) If the department receives information containing references to alleged human trafficking or child pornography which does or does not result in an investigation by the department, the department shall notify the appropriate law enforcement agency immediately upon receipt of such information. (B) If the department initiates an investigation of severe child abuse, including, but not limited to, child sexual abuse, the department shall notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency immediately upon assignment of such case to a department child protective services worker. (C) Both the department and law enforcement shall maintain a log of all such reports of such information received and confirmation that the information was sent to the appropriate party, pursuant to this subdivision (c)(3). (d) Any p