An important bill addressing mandatory reporting of child abuse was just recommitted to the appropriations committee of the Pennsylvania General Assembly on June 20. HB 436 proposes to amend portions of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes; specifically, Chapter 63: Child Protective Services, which would require attorneys to become mandatory reporters of suspected child abuse.
Mandated reporters under the current version of §6311(b) of Title 23 are people who come into contact with children in the course of employment, occupation or practice of a profession. These individuals are required to report — or cause a report to be made — when they have reasonable cause to suspect, on the basis of medical, professional or other training and experience, that a child under their care, supervision, guidance or training, or of an agency, institution, organization or other entity with which they are affiliated, is a victim of child abuse. This includes suspected child abuse by an individual who is not a perpetrator. Now, you’re probably wondering why this doesn’t, by definition, already apply to lawyers. The answer is that the current rule specifically exempts attorneys from mandatory reporting.
