1. Upon the receipt of a report concerning the possible abuse or neglect of a child, an agency which provides child welfare services or a law enforcement agency shall promptly notify the appropriate licensing authority, if any. A law enforcement agency shall promptly notify an agency which provides child welfare services of any report it receives.

2. Upon receipt of a report concerning the possible abuse or neglect of a child, an agency which provides child welfare services or a law enforcement agency shall immediately initiate an investigation if the report indicates that:

(a) There is a high risk of serious harm to the child;

(b) The child has suffered a fatality; or

(c) The child is living in a household in which another child has died, or the child is seriously injured or has visible signs of physical abuse.

3. Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, upon receipt of a report concerning the possible abuse or neglect of a child or notification from a law enforcement agency that the law enforcement agency has received such a report, an agency which provides child welfare services shall conduct an evaluation not later than 3 days after the report or notification was received to determine whether an investigation is warranted. For the purposes of this subsection, an investigation is not warranted if:

(a) The child is not in imminent danger of harm;

(b) The child is not vulnerable as the result of any untreated injury, illness or other physical, mental or emotional condition that threatens the immediate health or safety of the child;

(c) The alleged abuse or neglect of the child or the alleged effect of a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder or prenatal substance use disorder on or the withdrawal symptoms resulting from any prenatal substance exposure of the newborn infant could be eliminated if the child and the family of the child are referred to or participate in social or health services offered in the community, or both; or

(d) The agency determines that the:

(1) Alleged abuse or neglect was the result of the reasonable exercise of discipline by a parent or guardian of the child involving the use of corporal punishment; and

(2) Corporal punishment so administered was not so excessive as to constitute abuse or neglect as described in NRS 432B.150.

4. If the agency determines that an investigation is warranted, the agency shall initiate the investigation not later than 3 days after the evaluation is completed.

5. If an agency which provides child welfare services investigates a report of alleged abuse or neglect of a child pursuant to NRS 432B.010 to 432B.400, inclusive, the agency shall inform the person responsible for the child’s welfare who is named in the report as allegedly causing the abuse or neglect of the child of any allegation which is made against the person at the initial time of contact with the person by the agency. The agency shall not identify the person responsible for reporting the alleged abuse or neglect.

6. If the agency determines that an investigation is not warranted, the agency may, as appropriate:

(a) Provide counseling, training or other services relating to child abuse and neglect to the family of the child, or refer the family to a person who has entered into an agreement with the agency to provide those services; or

(b) Conduct an assessment of the family of the child to determine what services, if any, are needed by the family and, if appropriate, provide any such services or refer the family to a person who has entered into a written agreement with the agency to make such an assessment.

7. If an agency which provides child welfare services enters into an agreement with a person to provide services to a child or the family of the child pursuant to subsection 6, the agency shall require the person to notify the agency if the child or the family refuses or fails to participate in the services, or if the person determines that there is a serious risk to the health or safety of the child.

8. If an agency which provides child welfare services determines pursuant to subsection 3 that an investigation is not warranted, the agency may, at any time, reverse that determination and initiate an investigation.

9. An agency which provides child welfare services and a law enforcement agency shall cooperate in the investigation, if any, of a report of abuse or neglect of a child.

(Added to NRS by 1985, 1373; A 1989, 440; 1997, 2472; 1999, 2910; 2001, 1840, 1850; 2001 Special Session, 39; 2003, 236; 2005, 2034, 2095; 2007, 1505; 2013, 1088, 2877; 2017, 1385)