Reply #9: No, it's the reporting law for suspected abuse cases. [View All]

[pnwmom]

The law affects administrators at a University, who are obligated to report to the police and CPS every report that comes to them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/penn-state-scandal-raises-questions-over-abuse-reporting-laws-in-pennsylvania-and-elsewhere/2011/11/10/gIQAubfP9M_story.html

NEW YORK — When Joe Paterno, the ousted Penn State football coach, was confronted with a possible case of child rape, he notified his bosses rather than call the police or the child-abuse hotline. That was all Pennsylvania law required him to do, yet in most other states the failure to call could be a crime.

In more than 40 states, the prevailing policy is that such reports must be made to police or child-protection authorities swiftly and directly, with no option for delegating the task to others and then not following through.

Already, the Penn State scandal has sparked calls for Pennsylvania to toughen its law. State Rep. Kevin Boyle says he will introduce a bill that would require mandated reporters — including school and hospital employees — to notify police themselves rather than pass their information on to superiors at work.

“It is clear that a loophole exists in our law,” Boyle said. “My legislation would close that loophole by requiring those who are aware of the abuse to report it to law enforcement authorities, rather than simply following an in-house chain of command.”