2021 Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Act 42 - CRIMES CODE (18 PA.C.S.) AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS (23 PA.C.S.) - INFORMATION IN CENTRAL REPOSITORY OR AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AND SERVICES FOR PREVENTION, INVESTIGATION AND TREATMENT OF CHILD ABUSE
Session of 2021
No. 2021-42
HB 954
AN ACT
Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, dealing with child abuse:
in criminal history record information, further providing for information in central repository or automated systems; and,
in organization and responsibilities of Child Protective Services, further providing for services for prevention, investigation and treatment of child abuse.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 9106 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 9106. Information in central repository or automated systems.
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(f.1) Child abuse investigations.--
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter and pursuant to the confidentiality provisions under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63 (relating to child protective services), a criminal justice agency may disseminate information relating to an allegation or instance of child abuse to a county agency or the Department of Human Services for the purpose of investigating the allegation or instance of abuse or to a children's advocacy center for the purpose of providing services to investigating agencies, as those terms are defined in 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303 (relating to definitions), or to a multidisciplinary review team, multidisciplinary investigative team or child fatality or near fatality review team for the purposes specified in 23 Pa.C.S. § 6365 (relating to services for prevention, investigation and treatment of child abuse).
(2) A person who is in receipt of confidential information under this subsection and disseminates the information to a person not specifically authorized to receive the information commits a violation of this section.
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Section 2. Section 6365(f) of Title 23 is amended to read:
§ 6365. Services for prevention, investigation and treatment of child abuse.
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(f) Construction.--The provisions of this section shall be construed to assist in the improvement of services designed to identify and prevent child abuse[.] and to facilitate cooperation with law enforcement agencies for the purposes set forth in this section, consistent with 18 Pa.C.S. § 9106(f.1) (relating to information in central repository or automated systems). The provisions shall not be construed to impede or interfere with criminal prosecutions of persons who have committed child abuse.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
APPROVED--The 30th day of June, A.D. 2021.
TOM WOLF
