HB 2699

                                                PRINTER'S NO.   3771
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2699
                                          Session of
                                            2026
INTRODUCED BY HANBIDGE, FRITZ, PUGH, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, SAPPEY
   AND D. WILLIAMS, JULY 14, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JULY 14, 2026
                               AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2    Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further
3    providing for services for prevention, investigation and
4    treatment of child abuse and for reports to department and
5    coroner; and making an editorial change.
6    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8    Section 1.    Section 6341(f) of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
9 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
10 § 6341.    Amendment or expunction of information.
11    * * *
12    (f)    Notice of expunction.--Written notice of an expunction
13 of any child abuse record made pursuant to the provisions of
14 this chapter shall be served upon the subject of the record who
15 was responsible for the abuse or injury and the appropriate
16 county agency. Except as provided in this subsection, the county
17 agency, upon receipt of the notice, shall take appropriate,
18 similar action in regard to the local child abuse records and
19 inform, for the same purpose, the appropriate coroner if that
1 officer has received reports pursuant to section 6367 (relating
2 to reports to department and coroner or medical examiner).
3 Whenever the county agency investigation reveals, within 60 days
4 of receipt of the report of suspected child abuse, that the
5 report is unfounded but that the subjects need services provided
6 or arranged by the county agency, the county agency shall retain
7 those records and shall specifically identify that the report
8 was an unfounded report of suspected child abuse. An unfounded
9 report regarding subjects who receive services shall be expunged
10 no later than 120 days following the expiration of one year
11 after the termination or completion of services provided or
12 arranged by the county agency.
13    * * *
14    Section 2.      Section 6365(d)(1) of Title 23 is amended and the
15 subsection is amended by adding paragraphs to read:
16 § 6365.    Services for prevention, investigation and treatment of
17child abuse.
18    * * *
19    (d)    Child fatality or near fatality review team and written
20 report.--
21(1)   A child fatality or near fatality review team shall
22    be convened by a county agency in accordance with a protocol
23    developed by the county agency, the department and the
24    district attorney in a case when a child dies or [nearly
25    dies] suffers a near fatality as a result of child abuse as
26    to which there is an indicated report or when the county
27    agency has not made a status determination within 30 days.
28    The team may convene after a county agency makes a
29    determination of an indicated report and shall convene no
30    later than 31 days from the receipt of the oral report to the
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1  department of the suspected child abuse. A county agency in
2  the county where the abuse occurred and in any county where
3  the child resided within the 16 months preceding the fatality
4  or near fatality shall convene a child fatality or near
5  fatality review team. [A team shall consist of at least six
6  individuals who are broadly representative of the county
7  where the team is established and who have expertise in
8  prevention and treatment of child abuse. With consideration
9  given to the circumstances of each case and availability of
10  individuals to serve as members, the team may consist of the
11  following individuals:
12(i)    A staff person from the county agency.
13(ii)    A member of the advisory committee of the
14      county agency.
15(iii)    A health care professional.
16(iv)    A representative of a local school, educational
17      program or child care or early childhood development
18      program.
19(v)    A representative of law enforcement or the
20      district attorney.
21(vi)    An attorney-at-law trained in legal
22      representation of children or an individual trained under
23      42 Pa.C.S. § 6342 (relating to court-appointed special
24      advocates).
25(vii)    A mental health professional.
26(viii)    A representative of a children's advocacy
27      center that provides services to children in the county.
28      The individual under this subparagraph must not be an
29      employee of the county agency.
30(ix)    The county coroner or forensic pathologist.
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1(x)    A representative of a local domestic violence
2      program.
3(xi)    A representative of a local drug and alcohol
4      program.
5(xii)    An individual representing parents.
6(xiii)    Any individual whom the county agency or
7      child fatality or near fatality review team determines is
8      necessary to assist the team in performing its duties.]
9      (1.1)     A review team under paragraph (1) shall consist of
10  the following:
11(i)    At least six individuals who are broadly
12      representative of the county where the team is
13      established and who have expertise in prevention and
14      treatment of child abuse.
15(ii)    A staff person from the county agency.
16(iii)    A regional office representative of the
17      department.
18(iv)    A health care professional.
19(v)    A representative of law enforcement or the
20      district attorney.
21      (1.2)     If the involvement, services or expertise of the
22  following are applicable within a specific case, as
23  determined by the chairperson, the review team under
24  paragraph (1) may also consist of any of the following:
25(i)    A representative of a local school, educational
26      program or child care or early childhood development
27      program of the abused child.
28(ii)    The abused child's attorney, guardian ad litem
29      or court-appointed special advocate under 42 Pa.C.S.
30      § 6342 (relating to court-appointed special advocates).
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1(iii)    The abused child's mental health professional.
2(iv)    The abused child's primary care provider.
3(v)    The consulting child abuse pediatrician or other
4      treating physician if no child abuse pediatrician is
5      involved.
6(vi)    A representative of the managed care
7      organization serving the abused child.
8(vii)    A mandated reporter who interacted with the
9      abused child leading up to the incident.
10(viii)    A representative of a children's advocacy
11      center that provided services to the abused child. The
12      individual under this subparagraph must not be an
13      employee of the county agency.
14(ix)    The county coroner, medical examiner or
15      forensic pathologist when the review is a child fatality.
16      (1.3)     With consideration given to the circumstances of
17  each case, including the abused child's age, services and
18  other risk factors and the availability of individuals to
19  serve as team members, the review team under paragraph (1)
20  may also consist of voluntary team members. Following a
21  recommendation by a team member, an invitation for
22  participation in a review team under this subsection shall be
23  determined by the chairperson based on the person's relevant
24  expertise or involvement with the abused child or the child's
25  family. Voluntary members may include:
26(i)    A representative of the Department of Human
27      Services' ChildLine.
28(ii)    A representative of a local domestic violence
29      program.
30(iii)    A representative of a local drug and alcohol
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1program.
2(iv)    A representative of the local health
3department.
4(v)     A representative of the local community service
5provider.
6(vi)    A representative of the local child death
7review team.
8(vii)     A representative of emergency medical
9services.
10(viii)     An in-home service provider, including early
11intervention, that has provided services to the abused
12child's family within the prior 16 months.
13(ix)    An individual representing the abused child's
14parents.
15(x)     A juvenile probation officer or county probation
16officer.
17(xi)    A member of the advisory committee of the
18county agency.
19(xii)     Any individual who the county agency or child
20fatality or near fatality review team determines is
21necessary to assist the team in performing its duties.
22* * *
23    Section 3.       Section 6367 of Title 23 is amended to read:
24 § 6367.    Reports to department and coroner or medical examiner.
25    (a)    Reports to department.--Upon the receipt of each report
26 of suspected child abuse made pursuant to this chapter, the
27 county agency shall immediately transmit a child abuse report
28 summary as provided in section 6313 (relating to reporting
29 procedure) to the department. Supplemental reports shall be made
30 at regular intervals thereafter in a manner and form the
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1 department prescribes by regulation to the end that the
2 department is kept fully informed and up-to-date concerning the
3 status of reports of child abuse.
4    (b)   Reports to coroner.--
5(1)   The county agency shall give telephone notice and
6    forward immediately a copy of reports made pursuant to this
7    chapter which involve the death of a child to the appropriate
8    coroner or medical examiner pursuant to section 6317
9    (relating to mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation
10    of deaths).
11(2)   The county agency shall provide the appropriate
12    coroner or medical examiner with any information relating to
13    the reports made under this chapter that involves the death
14    of a child that may assist the coroner or medical examiner in
15    the investigation of the child's death.
16    (c)   Child deaths and near fatalities.--A county agency shall
17 immediately provide information to the department regarding its
18 involvement with the child and with the child's parent, guardian
19 or custodian when a child dies or [nearly dies and child abuse
20 is suspected.] suffers a near fatality as a result of suspected
21 child abuse. The county agency shall inform the department of
22 any history of child protective or general protective services
23 provided to the child prior to the child's death or near
24 fatality and of services provided to other children of the
25 child's parent, guardian or custodian by the county agency or by
26 court order. The county agency shall inform the department if
27 the child was in the agency's custody at the time of the child's
28 death or near fatality. The county agency shall provide this
29 information in writing on forms provided by the department
30 within 48 hours of the oral report.
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1   Section 4.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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