PRINTER'S NO. 1644
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1252
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY MURT, BISHOP, R. BROWN, BROWNLEE, COHEN, DAVIS,
KINSEY, McNEILL, ROEBUCK, ROZZI, SCHLOSSBERG AND STAATS,
MAY 28, 2015
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MAY 28, 2015
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further
providing for the definition of "child abuse."
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 6303(b.1) of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 6303. Definitions.
* * *
(b.1) Child abuse.--The term "child abuse" shall mean
intentionally, knowingly or recklessly doing any of the
following:
(1) Causing bodily injury to a child through any
[recent] act or failure to act.
(2) Fabricating, feigning or intentionally exaggerating
or inducing a medical symptom or disease which results in a
potentially harmful medical evaluation or treatment to the
child through any [recent] act.
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(3) Causing or substantially contributing to serious
mental injury to a child through any act or failure to act or
a series of such acts or failures to act.
(4) Causing sexual abuse or exploitation of a child
through any act or failure to act.
(5) Creating a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to
a child through any [recent] act or failure to act.
(6) Creating a likelihood of sexual abuse or
exploitation of a child through any [recent] act or failure
to act.
(7) Causing serious physical neglect of a child.
(8) Engaging in any of the following recent acts:
(i) Kicking, biting, throwing, burning, stabbing or
cutting a child in a manner that endangers the child.
(ii) Unreasonably restraining or confining a child,
based on consideration of the method, location or the
duration of the restraint or confinement.
(iii) Forcefully shaking a child under one year of
age.
(iv) Forcefully slapping or otherwise striking a
child under one year of age.
(v) Interfering with the breathing of a child.
(vi) Causing a child to be present at a location
while a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 7508.2 (relating to
operation of methamphetamine laboratory) is occurring,
provided that the violation is being investigated by law
enforcement.
(vii) Leaving a child unsupervised with an
individual, other than the child's parent, who the actor
knows or reasonably should have known:
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(A) Is required to register as a Tier II or Tier
III sexual offender under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97 Subch. H
(relating to registration of sexual offenders), where
the victim of the sexual offense was under 18 years
of age when the crime was committed.
(B) Has been determined to be a sexually violent
predator under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.24 (relating to
assessments) or any of its predecessors.
(C) Has been determined to be a sexually violent
delinquent child as defined in 42 Pa.C.S. § 9799.12
(relating to definitions).
(9) Causing the death of the child through any act or
failure to act.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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