The Pennsylvania House Children and Youth Committee approved several bills, this week, that will go to the full House for consideration, including measures to allow electronic reporting of child abuse, require health care providers to report illegal substance effects in newborns, and implement protections for those who report child abuse in good faith from employment discrimination and termination, reports State Rep. Jim Cox (R-129).
Much of the legislative effort on this issue stems from findings and recommendations from the Task Force on Child Protection, which was created in 2011 as a result of the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State University.
Anyone who suspects child abuse is occurring is urged to contact the state’s toll-free hotline, ChildLine, at 1-800-932-0313.