Bill > HB1607

This bill modifies Pennsylvania's child protective services law to specifically address cases involving military families, adding new definitions and reporting requirements. The bill expands definitions to include service members, their spouses, and children, and introduces the concept of a "military family" in child abuse reporting. It requires that when a child abuse report involves a military family, this fact must be noted in the report and in the Statewide database. The bill mandates that when such a report is received, the Department of Human Services must notify both the local county agency and the Family Advocacy Program (FAP) representatives at the state and military installation levels. The FAP, established by the U.S. Department of Defense, is responsible for addressing child abuse, neglect, and domestic abuse in military families. The bill also ensures that FAP representatives can access information in the Statewide child abuse database and receive confidential reports related to military families. These changes aim to improve coordination and information sharing between child protective services and military support agencies when child abuse is suspected in military families. The bill will take effect one year after its passage.

Education

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1607