The regulations in this subpart designate the agencies that are authorized to receive and investigate reports of child abuse under the provisions of section 226 of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, Public Law 101-647, 104 Stat. 4806, codified at 42 U.S.C. 13031.

Reports of child abuse required by 42 U.S.C. 13031 shall be made to the local law enforcement agency or local child protective services agency that has jurisdiction to investigate reports of child abuse or to protect child abuse victims in the land area or facility in question. Such agencies are hereby respectively designated as the agencies to receive and investigate such reports, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 13031(d), with respect to federal lands and federally operated or contracted facilities within their respective jurisdictions, provided that such agencies, if non-federal, enter into formal written agreements to do so with the Attorney General, her delegate, or a federal agency with jurisdiction for the area or facility in question. If the child abuse reported by the covered professional pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 13031 occurred outside the federal area or facility in question, the designated local law enforcement agency or local child protective services agency receiving the report shall immediately forward the matter to the appropriate authority with jurisdiction outside the federal area in question.

For federal lands, federally operated facilities, or federally contracted facilities where no agency qualifies for designation under § 81.2, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is hereby designated as the agency to receive and investigate reports of child abuse made pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 13031 until such time as another agency qualifies as a designated agency under § 81.2.

Where a report of child abuse received by a designated agency that is not a law enforcement agency involves allegations of sexual abuse, serious physical injury, or life-threatening neglect of a child, that agency shall immediately report such occurrence to a law enforcement agency with authority to take emergency action to protect the child.

Local child protective services agency means that agency of the federal government, of a state, of a tribe or of a local government that has the primary responsibility for child protection within a particular portion of the federal lands, a particular federally operated facility, or a particular federally contracted facility in which children are cared for or reside.

Local law enforcement agency means that federal, state, tribal or local law enforcement agency that has the primary responsibility for the investigation of an instance of alleged child abuse occurring within a particular portion of the federal lands, a particular federally operated facility, or a particular federally contracted facility in which children are cared for or reside.