THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY WATERS, PAYTON, BISHOP, BROWN, BELFANTI, BRIGGS, D. COSTA, DALEY, DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, HALUSKA, HORNAMAN, KIRKLAND, KOTIK, McILVAINE SMITH, MELIO, MIRABITO, MUNDY, MURT, MURPHY, M. O'BRIEN, PASHINSKI, SABATINA, SIPTROTH AND YOUNGBLOOD, MAY 26, 2010

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MAY 26, 2010  

AN ACT

Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the

Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for contact

information of a county agency to be provided to a dependent

child.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 6351(d) of Title 42 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 6351.  Disposition of dependent child.

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(d)  County programs.--

(1)  Every county of this Commonwealth shall develop

programs for children under paragraph (5) or (6) of the

definition of "dependent child" in section 6302 (relating to

definitions).

(2)  In order to ensure the protection and to prevent the

abuse of dependent children, a county children and youth

services office shall assign a staff member to receive calls

from dependent children who have been abused or are in fear

of abuse. This staff member must be able to be reached at all

times. Immediately upon being adjudicated dependent, a child

shall be given a card with the contact information of the

aforementioned staff member by a county children and youth

services office. A county children and youth services office

must give a child who has already been adjudicated dependent

a card with the contact information of the aforementioned

staff member within seven days of the effective date of this

section. If the contact information of the staff member

changes, every dependent child must be given updated contact

information immediately.

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Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.