Relevant Arizona Law

Mandatory Reporting Requirements of
Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation

A.R.S. § 46-454(A) provides that “A health professional, emergency medical technician, home health provider, hospital intern or resident, speech, physical or occupational therapist, long-term care provider, social worker, peace officer, medical examiner, guardian, conservator, fire protection personnel, developmental disabilities provider, employee of the department of economic security or other person who has responsibility for the care of a vulnerable adult and who has a reasonable basis to believe that abuse, neglect or exploitation of the adult has occurred shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of such reasonable basis to a peace officer or to the adult protective services central intake unit. The guardian or conservator of a vulnerable adult shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of such reasonable basis to the superior court and the adult protective services central intake unit. All of the above reports shall be made immediately by telephone or online.”

A.R.S. § 46-454(B) provides that “ If an individual prescribed in subsection A of this section is an employee or agent of a health care institution as defined in Section 36-401 and the health care institution’s procedures require that all suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation be reported to adult protective services as required by law, the individual is deemed to have complied with the requirements of subsection A of this section by reporting or causing a report to be made to the health care institution in accordance with the health care institution’s procedures.”

A.R.S. § 46-454(C) provides that “An attorney, accountant, trustee, guardian, conservator or other person who has responsibility for preparing the tax records of a vulnerable adult or a person who has responsibility for any other action concerning the use or preservation of the vulnerable adult's property and who, in the course of fulfilling that responsibility, discovers a reasonable basis to believe that abuse, neglect or exploitation has occurred shall immediately report or cause reports to be made of such reasonable basis to a peace officer or to the adult protective services central intake unit.  All of the above reports shall be made immediately by telephone or online.”

A.R.S. § 46-454(D) provides that reports made pursuant to subsections A and B of this section must include:

  1. The names and addresses of the adult and any persons having control or custody of the adult, if known.
  2. The adult's age and the nature and extent of the adult's vulnerability.
  3. The nature and extent of the abuse, neglect or exploitation.
  4. Any other information that the person reporting believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the adult's injuries or physical neglect or of the exploitation of the adult's property.  

A.R.S. § 46-454(M) makes any violation of this section a class 1 misdemeanor, except if the failure to report involves an offense listed in title 13, chapter 14, the person is guilty of a class 6 felony.

Arizona Adult Protective Services Statutes

https://des.az.gov/services/aging-and-adult/adult-protective-services/arizona-adult-protective-services-statutes