Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania House Bill HB751

Introduced
3/3/25  

Caption

In child protective services, further providing for definitions.

Impact

The modification of definitions in HB751 is expected to have wide-ranging implications for the interpretation of child abuse incidents and the responsibilities of various stakeholders, including schools and child protective services. By explicitly defining what constitutes a 'founded report' of abuse, the bill seeks to improve the reporting process and facilitate a more unified understanding among all entities involved in child welfare. This change is aimed at creating stricter accountability mechanisms within educational settings, potentially leading to more precise reporting and response protocols related to incidents of abuse.

Summary

House Bill 751 seeks to amend Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, focusing on child protective services. The bill specifically aims to clarify and update the definitions of critical terms such as 'founded report,' 'school,' and 'student.' This adjustment is part of an ongoing effort to enhance the state’s framework for addressing child abuse and neglect cases, ensuring that the legal definitions align with current realities and practices within educational institutions and the child welfare system.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HB751 appears largely supportive, especially among child welfare advocates and educational professionals who emphasize the importance of clear definitions in protecting children and improving the efficacy of reporting abuse. However, there may be concerns regarding how these definitions will affect the operations of schools and their capacity to respond to allegations of abuse. Overall, the discussions seem to reflect a shared goal of enhancing protections for children while navigating the complexities involved in child welfare legislation.

Contention

While general support exists for the bill, there are likely to be points of contention related to the specific language used in the definitions and the potential impacts those definitions may have on different educational entities. Some stakeholders may argue that certain terms could lead to misinterpretation or unwarranted legal liabilities for educators and administrators. The ongoing dialogue will need to address these concerns to ensure that the bill effectively serves its purpose without unintended negative consequences.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

PA HB43

In child protective services, further providing for definitions.

PA HB1125

In child protective services, further providing for definitions; and, in juvenile matters, further providing for definitions.

PA HB1059

In child protective services, further providing for definitions.

PA HB324

In child protective services, further providing for definitions.

PA SB1299

In human trafficking, further providing for definitions, for victim protection during prosecution and for safe harbor for sexually exploited children; in sex trafficking and missing and abducted children, further providing for county responsibilities; in juvenile matters, further providing for dependency in lieu of delinquency; and making an editorial change.

PA HB310

In child protective services, further providing for definitions.

PA HB1381

In juvenile matters, further providing for short title and purposes of chapter, for definitions, for scope of chapter, for powers and duties of probation officers, for summary offenses, for inspection of court files and records, for guardian ad litem for child in court proceedings, for transfer from criminal proceedings, for informal adjustment, for taking into custody, for detention of child, for release or delivery to court and for place of detention, providing for confinement in juvenile treatment facilities, further providing for notice and hearing, providing for questioning and interrogating a child, further providing for consent decree, providing for school stability for certain students, further providing for disposition of delinquent child, for limitation on and change in place of commitment and for transfer to criminal proceedings.

PA HB1782

In human trafficking, further providing for civil causes of action; in minors, further providing for sexual abuse of children; in computer offenses, further providing for definitions, for duty of Internet service provider and for application for order to remove or disable items; in child protective services, further providing for Task Force on Child Pornography; in recidivism risk reduction incentive, further providing for definitions; in Nonnarcotic Medication Assisted Substance Abuse Treatment Grant Pilot Program, further providing for definitions; in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for short sentence parole; and making an editorial change.

PA HB1187

In authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition prohibited; in criminal homicide, further providing for the offense of murder; in assault, further providing for the offense of stalking and for the offense of unauthorized administration of intoxicant; in sexual offenses, further providing for definitions and for the offense of rape, repealing provisions relating to the offense of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and further providing for the offense of sexual assault, for the offense of institutional sexual assault, for the offense of sexual assault by sports official, volunteer or employee of nonprofit association, for the offense of aggravated indecent assault and for general rule relating to loss of property rights; in wiretapping and electronic surveillance, further providing for definitions and for order authorizing interception of wire, electronic or oral communications; in public indecency, further providing for the offense of prostitution and related offenses; in firearms and other dangerous articles, further providing for persons not to possess, use, manufacture, control, sell or transfer firearms; in minors, further providing for transmission of sexually explicit images by minor; in criminal history record information, further providing for expungement and for juvenile records; in child custody, further providing for consideration of criminal conviction; in protection from abuse, further providing for definitions; in child protective services, further providing for definitions, for exclusions from child abuse and for employees having contact with children and adoptive and foster parents; in domestic and sexual violence victim address confidentiality, further providing for penalties; in limitation of time, further providing for infancy, insanity or imprisonment, for no limitation applicable and for other offenses; in depositions and witnesses, further providing for spouses as witnesses against each other and for hearsay; in juvenile matters, further providing for definitions, for inspection of court files and records, for law enforcement records, for conduct of hearings, for transfer to criminal proceedings and for assessment of delinquent children by the State Sexual Offenders Assessment Board; in court-ordered involuntary treatment of certain sexually violent persons, further providing for definitions and for court-ordered involuntary treatment; in sentencing, further providing for sentences for second or subsequent offenses, for sentences for offenses against elderly persons, for sentences for offenses against infant persons, for sentences for offenses committed while impersonating a law enforcement officer, for sentencing for trafficking of persons, for definitions, for sexual offenses and tier system, for termination of period of registration for juvenile offenders, for assessments, for registration and for assessments; in judicial change of name, further providing for change by order of court; in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for parole procedure; and, in interstate compacts, further providing for supervision of persons paroled by other states.

PA HB322

In child protective services, further providing for disposition and expunction of unfounded reports and general protective services reports and for disposition of founded and indicated reports, repealing provisions relating to expunction of information of perpetrator who was under 18 years of age when child abuse was committed and further providing for amendment or expunction of information; and making editorial changes.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.