Section 19-7-6. Reporting of juvenile drug use

   (a) The purpose of this Code section is to provide for the protection of children whose health and welfare are adversely affected and further threatened by the unlawful use and abuse of controlled substances or marijuana. The General Assembly recognizes the need for early intervention, counseling, and treatment as an effective means of addressing the problem of child controlled substance and marijuana abuse. It is intended that the reporting of the unlawful use of any controlled substance or marijuana will cause the protective services of the state to be brought to bear on this situation in an effort to protect and enhance the welfare of children. This Code section shall be liberally construed so as to carry out the purposes thereof.

(b) Any person exercising in loco parentis control over a child under the age of 18 years who has reasonable cause to believe that the child is habitually using in an unlawful manner any controlled substance or marijuana, as defined in Code Section 16-13-21, is encouraged to report such information to the child's parents and a child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Services.

(c) When the attendance of the person exercising in loco parentis control over a child is pursuant to the performance of services as a member of the staff of any school, social agency, or similar facility, the reporting person shall notify the person in charge of the facility or his designated delegate; and such person or his delegate shall report or cause reports to be made in accordance with this Code section.

(d) An oral report shall be made as soon as possible by telephone or otherwise and shall be followed by a report in writing, if requested, to the child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Services. Such report shall contain the names and addresses of the child and his parents or caretakers, if known, the child's age, and the nature and extent of the child's controlled substance or marijuana abuse history, if known.

(e) No agency or political subdivision of this state shall enact or enforce any disciplinary rule or penalty against an employee of the state or of any political subdivision of the state for failure to make any report referred to in subsection (b), (c), or (d) of this Code section.

(f) Any person or persons, partnership, firm, corporation, association, hospital, or other entity participating in the making of a report or causing a report to be made to a child welfare agency providing protective services pursuant to this Code section or any other law or participating in any judicial proceeding or any other proceeding resulting therefrom shall, in doing so, be immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed if such participation, pursuant to this Code section or any other law, is made in good faith. Any person making a report, whether required by this Code section or not, shall be immune from liability as provided in this subsection.

(g) Any person or official required to report under this Code section shall be exempt from reporting any information received from the child during a counseling or treatment program.

(h) The child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Services, shall forward a copy of all reports wherein the reporting person or official has actual knowledge that a child under the age of 18 has unlawfully consumed or otherwise used any controlled substance or marijuana to the juvenile court. As used in this subsection, the term "juvenile court" means the court exercising jurisdiction over juvenile matters, as defined under Code Section 15-11-2, in the county where the report was made.

Code 1981, § 19-7-6, enacted by Ga. L. 1987, p. 1000, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, § 2-2/HB 228.