PRINTER'S NO. 1721
No. 1418 Session of 1991
INTRODUCED BY BLAUM, HAGARTY, CALTAGIRONE, NAHILL, KOSINSKI,
DALEY, KRUSZEWSKI, ANGSTADT, HECKLER, J. TAYLOR, G. SNYDER,
CLYMER, LaGROTTA, SEMMEL, HERMAN, ITKIN, BARLEY, FLEAGLE,
DeLUCA, LUCYK, ULIANA, HASAY, PHILLIPS, VROON, BATTISTO,
GERLACH, PETRONE, WAMBACH, BELARDI, CORNELL, E. Z. TAYLOR,
MELIO, HARPER, MICHLOVIC, MICOZZIE, FARMER, STABACK,
GODSHALL, GIGLIOTTI, NOYE, STEELMAN, D. W. SNYDER, PISTELLA,
GRUPPO, SERAFINI, BUNT, CIVERA, SURRA, KING, BUTKOVITZ,
STURLA, HARLEY, RITTER AND TELEK, MAY 29, 1991
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGING AND YOUTH, MAY 29, 1991
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, expanding the circumstances for
3 reporting suspected child abuse.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 6311(a) of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes, added December 19, 1990 (P.L. ,
8 No.206), is amended to read:
9 § 6311. Persons required to report suspected child abuse.
10 (a) General rule.--Persons who, in the course of their
11 employment, occupation or practice of their profession, come
12 into contact with children shall report or cause a report to be
13 made in accordance with section 6313 (relating to reporting
14 procedure) when they have reason to believe, on the basis of
15 [their medical, professional or other training and experience,
1 that a child coming before them in their professional or
2 official capacity is an abused child.] information received in
3 the course of their employment, occupation or profession, that a
4 child is an abused child. Persons are not required to report
5 under this subsection if all of the following apply:
6 (1) The information is received through a communication
7 with someone other than the child.
8 (2) The communication is recognized by law or
9 professional ethics as confidential.
10 (3) The person concludes, in the exercise of sound
11 professional judgment, that the child is not in imminent
12 danger of further abuse.
13 The privileged communication between any professional person
14 required to report and the patient or client of that person
15 shall not apply to situations involving child abuse and shall
16 not constitute grounds for failure to report as required by this
17 chapter.
18 * * *
19 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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