Child battery and child abuse.

2017
STATE OF WYOMING
17LSO-0661
Introduced
1.2

HOUSE BILL

NO.

HB0259

Child battery and child abuse.

Sponsored by:
Representative(s) Olsen, Brown and Pownall and Senator(s) Nethercott

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to crimes and offenses; amending the crime of child abuse; specifying the crime of battery against a child by a person employed by or operating a child caring facility; providing definitions; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1
.

W.S. 6
‑
2
‑
503(
a)(intro), (ii)
(A)
, (b)
(intro
)
,
(i) and
by creating
new subsections (d) and (e) is
amended to read:

6
‑
2
‑
503
.

Child abuse; child battery; penalties.

(a)

A person who is not responsible for a child's welfare
as defined by W.S. 14
‑
3
‑
202(a)(i),
is guilty of child abuse, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, if:

(ii)

The actor intentionally or recklessly inflicts upon a child under the age of sixteen (16) years:

(A)

Physical injury
;
a
s defined in W.S. 14
‑
3
‑
202(
a)(ii)(B)
;

(b)

A person is guilty of child abuse, a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than ten (10) years, if a person responsible for a child's welfare
as defined in W.S. 14
‑
3
‑
202(
a)(i)
intentionally or recklessly inflicts upon a child under the age of eighteen (18) years:

(i)

Physical injury
,

as
defined in W.S. 14
‑
3
‑
202(
a)(ii)(B)
,
excluding
minor bruising associated with

reasonable corporal punishment;

(d)

Except under circumstances constituting child abuse under subsections (a) through (c) of this section, a
person who is employed by or operates a child caring facility as defined in W.S. 14
‑
4
‑
101(
a)(vi) is guilty of child battery, a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00), or both, if
:

(i)

T
he person has physical custody or control of a child under the age of eighteen (18) years
;
and

(ii)

T
he person intentionally or recklessly inflicts upon the child bodily injury, including
minor
skin bruising resulting from
reasonable
corporal punishment.

(e)

For purpose of this section:

(i)

"A
person who is responsible for a child's welfare
" includes the child's parent, noncustodial parent, guardian, custodian, stepparen
t, foster parent or other individual
having the physical custody or control of the child;

(ii)

"
A person who is not responsible for a child's welfare
"
includes any person who is not responsible
for a child's welfare and
a
child caring facility as defined in W.S. 14
‑
4
‑
101(
a)(vi)
.

(iii)

"Physical injury" means any harm to a child including but not limited to disfigurement, impairment of any bodily organ, skin bruising if greater in magnitude than minor bruising, bleeding, burns, fracture of any bone, subdural hemat
oma or substantial malnutrition.

Section 2
.

This act is effective July 1, 2017
.

(END)

1
HB0259