Arkansas Law

§ 12-12-504. Penalties.

(a)(1) Any person, official, or institution negligently or willfully failing to make notification when required by this subchapter shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor.

     (2) Any person, official, or institution willfully making false notification pursuant to this subchapter, knowing such allegations to be false, shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

     (3) Any person, official, or institution willfully making false notification pursuant to this subchapter, knowing such allegations to be false, and who has been previously convicted of making willful false allegations shall be guilty of a Class D felony.

(b) Any person, official, or institution required by this subchapter to make notification of suspected child maltreatment who willfully fails to do so shall be civilly liable for damages proximately caused by that failure.

(c) Any person who willfully permits, and any other person who encourages, the release of data or information contained in the central registry to persons to whom disclosure is not permitted by this subchapter shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

(d) Judges or prosecuting attorneys who fail to make notification when required by this subchapter shall not be subject to any of the penalties outlined in this subchapter.

History. Acts 1991, No. 1208, § 12; 1995, No. 1341, § 4; 1997, No. 1351, § 1.