Title 14, Title 14 — Children

Duties of state agency; on-call services. (a) The state agency shall: (i) Administer W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-215; (ii) Be responsible for strengthening and improving state and community efforts toward the prevention, identification and treatment of child abuse and neglect in t…

Duties of local child protective agency. (a) The local child protective agency shall: (i) Repealed by Laws 2017, ch. 179, § 2. (ii) Receive, assess, investigate or arrange for investigation and coordinate investigation or assessment of all reports of known or suspected child abus…

Child abuse or neglect; persons required to report. (a) Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected or who observes any child being subjected to conditions or circumstances that would reasonably result in abuse or n…

Child abuse or neglect; written report; statewide reporting center; documentation and examination; costs and admissibility thereof. (a) Reports of child abuse or neglect or of suspected child abuse or neglect made to the local child protective agency or local law enforcement agen…

Abuse or neglect as suspected cause of death; coroner's investigation. Any person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has died as a result of child abuse or neglect shall report to the appropriate coroner. The coroner shall investigate the report and submit …

Temporary protective custody; order; time limitation; remedial health care. (a) When a child is taken into temporary protective custody pursuant to W.S. 14-3-405(a) and (b), the person taking custody shall immediately notify the local department of family services office and plac…

Immunity from liability. Any person, official, institution or agency participating in good faith in any act required or permitted by W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-215 is immune from any civil or criminal liability that might otherwise result by reason of the action. For the purpose …

Admissibility of evidence constituting privileged communications. (a) Evidence regarding a child in any judicial proceeding resulting from a report made pursuant to W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-215 shall not be excluded on the ground it constitutes a privileged communication: (i) B…

Appointment of counsel for child and other parties. (a) The court shall appoint counsel to represent any child in a court proceeding in which the child is alleged to be abused or neglected. Any attorney representing a child under this section shall also serve as the child's guard…

Child protection teams; creation; composition; duties; records confidential. (a) The state agency and the local child protective agency shall encourage and assist in the creation of child protection teams within the communities in the state. The purposes of the child protection t…

Central registry of child protection cases; establishment; operation; amendment, expungement or removal of records; classification and expungement of reports; statement of person accused. (a) The state agency shall establish and maintain a record of all child protection reports a…

Confidentiality of records; penalties; access to information; attendance of school officials at interviews; access to central registry records pertaining to child protection cases. (a) All records concerning reports and investigations of child abuse or neglect are confidential ex…

Interagency children's collaborative. (a) There is created an interagency children's collaborative. The collaborative shall be composed of: (i) The director of the department of family services, or his designee; (ii) The director of the department of health, or his designee; (iii…

Other laws not superseded. No laws of this state are superseded by the provisions of W.S. 14-3-201 through 14-3-216.

Definitions. (a) As used in this article: (i) "Tobacco products" means any substance containing tobacco leaf or any product made or derived from tobacco that contains nicotine including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco or dipping tobac…

Prohibited sales or delivery. (a) No individual shall sell, offer for sale, give away or deliver nicotine products to any person under the age of twenty- one (21) years. (b) Any individual violating W.S. 14-3-309 or subsection (a) of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor punish…

Posted notice required; location of vending machines. (a) Any person who sells nicotine products shall post signs informing the public of the age restrictions provided by this article at or near every display of nicotine products and on or upon every vending machine which offers …

Purchase by person under twenty-one years of age prohibited. (a) No person under the age of twenty-one (21) years shall purchase or attempt to purchase nicotine products, or misrepresent his identity or age, or use any false or altered identification for the purpose of purchasing…

Possession or use by person under twenty-one years of age prohibited. (a) It is unlawful for any person under the age of twenty- one (21) years to possess or use any nicotine products. A person shall not be arrested for an alleged violation of this subsection but shall be issued …

Teen court jurisdiction. The teen court program authorized under W.S. 7-13-1203 may have jurisdiction over any offense committed by a minor under this article.

Compliance inspections. (a) The department of health, working with local law enforcement agencies and other local individuals and organizations at the discretion of the department, shall be the lead agency to ensure compliance with this article. (b) The department of health shall…

Further regulation by local ordinance. (a) Except as specified under subsection (b) of this section, this article shall not be construed to prohibit the imposition by local law or ordinance of further regulation or prohibition upon the sale, use and possession of nicotine product…

Regulation of mail order and internet purchases and sales; proof of age; penalties. (a) No person shall sell at retail or wholesale any nicotine product through the internet or any other remote sales method to any person in this state, other than a vendor licensed under W.S. 39-1…

Prohibited sales or delivery of edible products and vaping products. (a) No person or retailer shall sell, permit the sale, offer for sale, give away or deliver edible products or vaping products to any person under the age of eighteen (18) years. (b) Any person violating subsect…

Short title; applicability. (a) This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Child Protection Act." (b) If the child suspected to be abused or neglected is an Indian child as defined by W.S. 14-6-702(a)(iv), the court and all parties shall comply with the Wyoming Indian Child…

Definitions. (a) As used in this act: (i) "Adjudication" means a finding by the court or the jury, incorporated in a decree, as to the truth of the facts alleged in the petition; (ii) "Adult" means an individual who has attained the age of majority; (iii) "Child" means an individ…

Juvenile court authority over certain issues. (a) Coincident with proceedings concerning a minor alleged to be neglected and subject to the Wyoming Indian Child Welfare Act, the court has jurisdiction to: (i) Determine questions concerning the right to legal custody of the minor;…

Venue; change of venue or judge. Proceedings under this act may be commenced in the county where the child is living or is present when the proceedings are commenced. Change of venue or change of judge may be had under the circumstances and upon the terms and conditions provided …

Taking of child into custody; when permitted. (a) A child, or any other child residing in the same household, may be taken into custody by a law enforcement officer without a warrant or court order and without the consent of the parents, guardians or others exercising temporary o…

Child in custody; no shelter care placement without court order; exceptions; notice to parent or guardian; release. (a) A child taken into temporary protective custody shall not be placed in shelter care without a court order unless shelter care is required to: (i) Protect the ch…

Shelter care; delivery of child pending hearing; placing children; notice if no court order. (a) If shelter care of a child appears necessary to the person taking custody of the child, the child shall be delivered as soon as possible to the court or to the department of family se…

Notice of shelter care to be given district attorney; written statement required; duty of district attorney. (a) When a child is taken into temporary protective custody without a court order and is placed in shelter care pursuant to W.S. 14-3-405(a) or (b), the person taking temp…

Taking of child into custody; shelter care hearing where no court order; conditional release; evidence; rehearing. (a) When a child is taken into temporary protective custody without a court order or under an ex parte emergency order, a petition as provided in W.S. 14-3-412 shall…

Shelter care hearing conducted by commissioner; authority and duty; review by court. (a) In the absence or incapacity of the judge, the shelter care hearing may be conducted by a district court commissioner of the county in which the child is being held in shelter care. (b) The c…

Complaints alleging neglect; investigation and determination by district attorney. Complaints alleging a child is neglected shall be referred to the office of the district attorney. The district attorney shall determine whether the best interest of the child requires that judicia…

Commencement of proceedings; contents of petition. (a) Proceedings in juvenile court are commenced by filing a petition with the clerk of the court. The petition and all subsequent pleadings, motions, orders and decrees shall be entitled "State of Wyoming, In the Interest of ....…

Order to appear; contents thereof; when child taken into immediate custody; waiver of service. (a) After a petition is filed, the court shall issue an order to appear. The order shall: (i) State the name of the court, the title of the proceedings and the time and place for the in…

Service of process; order of custody. (a) In proceedings under this act, service of order to appear or other process within the state shall be made by the sheriff of the county where service is made, by his undersheriff or deputy or by any law enforcement officer or responsible a…

Presence of parent, custodian or guardian at hearing; failure to appear; avoidance of service; issuance of bench warrant. (a) The court shall ensure the presence at any hearing of the parents, guardian or custodian of any child subject to the proceedings under this act. (b) Any p…

Appointment of guardian ad litem. The court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for a child who is a party to proceedings under this act if the child has no parent, guardian or custodian appearing in his behalf or if the interests of the parents, guardian or custodian are adverse t…

Subpoenas for witnesses and evidence. Upon application of any party to the proceeding, the clerk shall issue and the court on its own motion may issue subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of records, documents or other tangible evidence…

Search warrant; when authorized; affidavit required; contents of affidavit and warrant; service and return. (a) The court or a commissioner may issue a search warrant within the court's jurisdiction if it appears by application supported by affidavit of one (1) or more adults tha…

Physical and mental examinations. Any time after the filing of a petition, on motion of the district attorney or the child's parents, guardian, custodian or attorney or on motion of the court, the court may order the child to be examined by a licensed and qualified physician, sur…

Emergency medical, surgical or dental examination or treatment. The court may authorize and consent to emergency medical, surgical or dental examination or treatment of a child taken into custody under the provisions of this act either before or after the filing of a petition, if…

Reports of medical or mental examinations; use of results; copies. The results of any medical or mental examination authorized or ordered by the court shall be reported to the court in writing and signed by the person making the examination. The results may not be considered by t…

Advising of right to counsel required; appointment of counsel; verification of financial condition. (a) At their first appearance before the court and at their initial hearing the child's parents, guardian or custodian shall be advised by the court of their right to be represente…