Bill > SB436

This bill updates Pennsylvania's child protective services laws to provide additional guidance and procedures when child abuse reports involve military families. The bill expands definitions to include specific scenarios related to military families, such as when an alleged perpetrator or victim is a service member or their family member. It requires that child abuse reports now include a notation about whether the case involves a military family and provides additional context. The bill mandates that when a report concerns a military family, the Department of Human Services must notify both the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) representative for the Commonwealth and the FAP representative for the specific military installation. The legislation also ensures that FAP representatives can access relevant information in the Statewide child abuse database and receive confidential reports when appropriate. These changes aim to improve communication and coordination between child protective services and military family support systems when investigating potential child abuse cases involving military personnel or their families. The bill will take effect one year after its passage, giving agencies time to implement the new procedures and requirements.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=436