Bill Text: PA HB2169 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Further providing for endangering welfare of children.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 37-6)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-02-03 - Referred to JUDICIARY [HB2169 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-HB2169-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 3042
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2169 Session of2012
INTRODUCED BY STEPHENS, ADOLPH, BAKER, BENNINGHOFF, BISHOP, B. BOYLE, BROOKS, R. BROWN, CHRISTIANA, CLYMER, CUTLER, DiGIROLAMO, ELLIS, FARRY, FLECK, GABLER, GODSHALL, HACKETT, KAUFFMAN, KILLION, KNOWLES, KORTZ, MAJOR, MURPHY, O'NEILL, PICKETT, PYLE, ROAE, ROCK, SACCONE, SANTARSIERO, SCAVELLO, CULVER, SIMMONS, SWANGER, TALLMAN, TAYLOR, TOBASH, TOEPEL, TOOHIL, VEREB, WATSON AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 3, 2012
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 3, 2012
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for endangering
welfare of children.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 4304 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 4304. Endangering welfare of children.
(a) Offense defined.--
(1) A parent, guardian or other person supervising the
welfare of a child under 18 years of age, or a person that
employs or supervises such a person, commits an offense if he
knowingly endangers the welfare of the child by violating a
duty of care, protection or support.
(2) A person commits an offense if the person, in an
official capacity, prevents or interferes with the making of
a report of suspected child abuse under 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 63
(relating to child protective services).
(3) As used in this subsection, the term "person
supervising the welfare of a child" means a person other than
a parent or guardian that provides care, education, training
or control of a child.
(b) Grading.--An offense under [this section] subsection (a)
constitutes a misdemeanor of the first degree. However, where
there is a course of conduct of endangering the welfare of a
child under subsection (a), the offense constitutes a felony of
the third degree.
(c) Notification of law enforcement.--A person commits an
offense if the person witnesses and fails to notify law
enforcement that a child is the victim of a crime graded as a
misdemeanor of the third degree or greater. The following shall
apply:
(1) If the conduct observed constitutes a felony of the
third degree or higher the penalty shall be the same as the
penalty for the conduct observed.
(2) An offense under this subsection shall be a
misdemeanor of the first degree in all other cases.
(3) The statute of limitations for an offense under this
subsection shall be the same as the statute of limitations
for the crime committed against the minor child that the
offender failed to report.
(4) The suspected child abuse shall be reported to law
enforcement within 24 hours.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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