PENNSYLVANIA
The Kittanning Paper
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which aims to increase public awareness of the need to ensure the safety and welfare of children. In the wake of the Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal, the House has taken up the call to strengthen Pennsylvania’s child protection laws.
Two bills recommended by the Task Force on Child Protection are scheduled for a vote by the full House next week. House Bill 90 (introduced by Rep. Rick Saccone, R-Washington/Allegheny counties) authorizes an administrative subpoena, from the attorney general or a district attorney, to obtain the IP address and the name, address and phone number of the subscriber in child sex exploitation cases. Investigators would need a search warrant issued by the court to obtain additional information or view anything on the person’s computer. The legislation basically mirrors federal law but is more restrictive.
House Bill 429 (introduced by Rep. Kathy Watson, R-Bucks County) aims to protect a person who makes a good faith report of child abuse from retaliation or discrimination in the workplace. The bill is intended to remove that potential barrier which could keep some people from reporting suspected child abuse. It is also intended to provide recourse for those who do make a good faith report and suffer consequences at work as a result.
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