(a) Any mandated reporter acting outside his or her professional capacity and any other person having reasonable cause to suspect or believe that any child under the age of eighteen is in danger of being abused, or has been abused or neglected, as defined in § 46b-120, may cause a written, oral or electronic report to be made to the Commissioner of Children and Families or the commissioner’s designee or a law enforcement agency. An electronic report made pursuant to this subsection shall be made in a manner prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner or the commissioner’s designee shall use his or her best efforts to obtain the name and address of a person who causes a report to be made pursuant to this section. In the case of an oral report, such report shall be recorded on tape and the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee shall announce to the person making such report that such report is being recorded and shall state the penalty for knowingly making a false report of child abuse or neglect under subsection (d) of § 17a-101e.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of § 17a-101k, if the identity of any such person who made a report pursuant to subsection (a) of this section is known, and the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee suspects or knows that such person has knowingly made a false report, such identity shall be disclosed to the appropriate law enforcement agency and to the perpetrator of the alleged abuse.

(c) If the commissioner, or the commissioner’s designee, receives a report alleging sexual abuse or serious physical abuse, including, but not limited to, a report that: (1) A child has died; (2) a child has been sexually assaulted; (3) a child has suffered brain damage, loss or serious impairment of a bodily function or organ; (4) a child has been sexually exploited; or (5) a child has suffered serious nonaccidental physical injury, he or she shall, within twenty-four hours of receipt of such report, notify the appropriate law enforcement agency.