25-01.3-04. Reporting of abuse, neglect, or exploitation - Immunity for good-faith reports

25-01.3-04. Reporting of abuse, neglect, or exploitation - Immunity for good-faith reports. 1. Every medical, mental health, or developmental disabilities professional, educational professional, police or law enforcement officer, or caretaker having knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect that an adult with developmental disabilities or mental illness coming before the individual providing services in that individual's official or professional capacity is abused, neglected, or exploited shall report the circumstances of that abuse, neglect, or exploitation to the project. For the purposes of this section: a. "Educational professional" means a professional providing educational services either at a school, academy, or other educational facility, or at a private facility or residence, as a teacher, professor, tutor, aide, administrator, or other education professional. b. "Medical, mental health, or developmental disabilities professional" means a professional providing health care or services to persons with developmental disabilities or mental illnesses, on a full-time or part-time basis, on an individual basis or at the request of a caretaker, and includes a physician, medical examiner, coroner, dentist, optometrist, chiropractor, nurse, physical therapist, mental health professional, hospital personnel, nursing home personnel, congregate care personnel, social worker, or any other person providing medical, mental health, or developmental disabilities services. 2. An individual not listed in subsection 1 having knowledge of or reasonable cause to suspect that an adult with developmental disabilities or mental illness is abused, neglected, or exploited may report those circumstances to the committee or the project. 3. An individual other than the alleged perpetrator participating in good faith in the making of a report, assisting an investigator, furnishing information to an advocate or other employee of the committee, or in providing protective services under this section, is immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that otherwise might result from the reporting of the alleged case of abuse, neglect, or exploitation.