PENNSYLVANIA
The Patriot-News
By Ivey DeJesus | idejesus@pennlive.com
on March 18, 2013
A bipartisan group of state senators on Monday unveiled a package of legislation that would reform Pennsylvania’s child protection laws.
The 16-bill package would provide a broad sweep of reform, including updating the definition of child abuse, perpetrator and mandatory reporter. The legislation would also update procedures used to report child abuse, including reporting guidelines for medical practitioners and school employees.
The proposed legislation would implement changes recommended by the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection, which was convened in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse case.
Sen. Kim Ward (R-39), said the current laws addressing child abuse had been “in the books for a long time,” and that changing times called for an overhaul to the state law. She said the task force found the current law to be “vague, confusing and focused on perpetrators.”
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