1710                                     LAWS OF MARYLAND                                 Ch. 835

OTHER PERSON WHO HAS THE PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY CARE
OR CUSTODY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR SUPERVISION OF A MINOR
CHILD.

(c)  Every health practitioner, [education, health, mental health,] EDUCATOR
or social worker or law-enforcement officer, who contacts, examines, attends, or
treats a child and who believes or has reason to believe that the child [has
sustained physical injury as a result of abuse, as by malicious beating, striking or
other such cruel or inhumane treatment] HAS BEEN ABUSED [shall] IS
REQUIRED TO make a report in the form and manner provided in the following
subsection, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER SECTION OF THE LAW
RELATING TO PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATIONS; provided, however, that
if the [education] EDUCATOR or social worker or law-enforcement officer or
health practitioner examines, attends, or treats the child in the capacity of a
member of the staff of a hospital, public health agency, child-care institution,
juvenile detention center, school or similar institution, the health practitioner,

[education] EDUCATOR or social worker or law-enforcement officer, shall
ALSO immediately notify and give all necessary information required by this
section to the person or persons in charge of the institution or a designated
representative thereof[, who shall make the report as provided in the following
subsection].

(d)  Each such report made pursuant to the provisions of [this] SUBsection (E)
shall be made to the agencies as provided for hereinafter, both orally and in
written form; both the reports to be made as soon as is reasonably possible in the
circumstances, but, in any case, the written report must be made within forty-eight
(48) hours of the contact, examination, attention or treatment which disclosed the
existence of possible [malicious treatment or beating] ABUSE. The oral report
shall be made either by telephone or direct communication to the local department
of social services [[IF SUCH AGENCY PROVIDES ROUND-THE-CLOCK
PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, OTHERWISE THE ORAL
REPORT SHALL BE MADE]] OR TO THE APPROPRIATE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THE AGENCY TO WHICH THE REPORT IS
MADE SHALL IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY THE OTHER AGENCY.
NOTHING HOWEVER, SHALL PROHIBIT THE LOCAL DEPARTMENT
OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND THE APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY FROM JOINTLY AGREEING TO COOPERATIVE
ARRANGEMENTS, [provided, however, that such report shall not be necessary
if it is the local department of social services which discovers the condition and
provided, further that if the person making the report believes or has reason to
believe that immediate protection of the child or children is necessary to insure the
physical safety or welfare of the child or children involved, then in such event, the
matter shall also be reported to the appropriate law-enforcement agency.] The
written [reports] REPORT required to be made shall be made in all cases to the
local department of social services and A COPY SENT to the local State's
attorney.

The oral and written reports shall contain the following information, or as much
thereof as the person making the report shall be able in the circumstances to
furnish:

(1)  The name and home address or addresses of the child or children and the
parent or other persons responsible for the care of the child or children in question;

(2)  The present whereabouts of the child or children if not the same as the home
address or addresses;