House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	February 6, 2023 03:44 PM
From:	Representative Craig T. Staats
To:	All House members
Subject:	Protecting Children in Foster Care/Adoption -- Grace Packer (Former House Bills 1843, 1844 and 1845)

In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation that would help better protect children by updating Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). This legislation is in memory of Grace Packer, a 14-year-old girl brutally murdered in 2016 by her adoptive mother and her boyfriend. As reported by local, statewide, and national media, Grace was adopted as a toddler by Sara Packer, a county adoption worker, and her then-husband David.

As a result of frequent moves, multiple county child welfare agencies and contractors of those agencies supervised Grace’s placement or had contact with the family. In July 2016, Grace was beaten and raped by Sara’s live-in boyfriend, Jacob Sullivan, while Sara watched. Strangled the next day by Sullivan, Grace’s body was dismembered and dumped in Luzerne County where hunters found it months later.

It was subsequently discovered the home was filled with relentless emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. While a State Inspector General investigation regarding the failures of our child welfare system in this case is ongoing, Grace’s murder highlighted numerous gaps in our CPSL and the systems by which we track reports of child abuse. To better protect children like Grace, my bills will focus on the following:

Statutory Requirement to Implement the Statewide Child Abuse Information System (Previously HB 1843)
In 2014, two years before Grace’s murder, the General Assembly enacted legislation mandating the development and implementation of a statewide child abuse database. The Office of Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Human Services (DHS) is directing the establishment of a statewide system which will replace the systems in the 67 counties. The legislation would require the statewide system be brought online by the end of 2023.

Record Retention (Previously HB 1844)
I will also reintroduce legislation to change the length of time that records are retained and extend it to 30 years. Currently, records are maintained for one year or ten years, depending on the type of report. The legislation will also remove the provision that provides for the expunction for a perpetrator who was a minor at the time of the alleged abuse upon that individual reaching age 23. Lastly, the legislation will limit the circumstances when the DHS Secretary can expunge records.

“Valid” and “Invalid Reports” (Previously HB 1845)
The CPSL does not currently define the terms “general protective service report” and “valid” in relation to the report. I will reintroduce legislation to define those terms so that their meaning is clear.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation that will help protect Pennsylvania’s children.

Document #1

Introduced as HB321

Description:	Statutory Requirement to Implement the Statewide Child Abuse Information System (Previously HB 1843) In 2014, two years before Grace’s murder, the General Assembly enacted legislation mandating the development and implementation of a statewide child abuse database. The Office of Children, Youth and Families in the Department of Human Services (DHS) is directing the establishment of a statewide system which will replace the systems in the 67 counties. The legislation would require the statewide system be brought online by the end of 2023. Previous cosponsors: Quinn, Ryan, Mizgorski, Guenst, Millard, Rozzi, Kinsey, Kauffman, Thomas, Schlegel-Culver, Struzzi, Farry, Gillen, James, McNeill, Polinchock, M. Mackenzie, Moul, Stephens, and Delozier

Document #2

Introduced as HB322

Description:	Record Retention (Previously HB 1844) I will also reintroduce legislation to change the length of time that records are retained and extend it to 30 years. Currently, records are maintained for one year or ten years, depending on the type of report. The legislation will also remove the provision that provides for the expunction for a perpetrator who was a minor at the time of the alleged abuse upon that individual reaching age 23. Lastly, the legislation will limit the circumstances when the DHS Secretary can expunge records. Previous cosponsors: Quinn, Ryan, Mizgorski, Guenst, Millard, Rozzi, Kinsey, Kauffman, Thomas, Schlegel-Culver, Struzzi, Farry, Gillen, James, McNeill, Polinchock, M. Mackenzie, Moul, Stephens, and Delozier

Document #3

Introduced as HB324

Description:	“Valid” and “Invalid Reports” (Previously HB 1845) The CPSL does not currently define the terms “general protective service report” and “valid” in relation to the report. I will reintroduce legislation to define those terms so that their meaning is clear. Previous cosponsors: Quinn, Ryan, Mizgorski, Guenst, Millard, Rozzi, Kinsey, Kauffman, Thomas, Schlegel-Culver, Struzzi, Farry, Gillen, James, McNeill, Polinchock, M. Mackenzie, Moul, Stephens, and Delozier