Reported by WHTM, by Kendra Nichols

December 18, 2013

Governor Tom Corbett has signed the first round of new laws drafted in response to the Jerry Sandusky and Roman Catholic clergy scandals.

Ten bills signed by the governor Wednesday make significant improvements to the state's child abuse prevention laws and are based on recommendations made by the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection.

Corbett signed two of the bills, Senate Bill 23 and House Bill 726, during a signing at the Pennsylvania Child Resource Center in Mechanicsburg.

House Bill 726 changes the definition of child abuse by replacing the term "serious bodily injury" with "bodily injury."

The law's definition of child abuse also include acts of sexual exploitation, physical neglect, biting, burning or throwing a child, unreasonable confinement or restraint, forcefully shaking or striking a child under one year old, interfering with the breathing of a child, fabricating or inducing medical symptoms or diseases, and failing to act when child abuse is being committed.

Senate Bill 23 broadens the definition a "person responsible for a child's welfare" to include anyone who has direct or regular contact with a child through school, work, church or other organization, regardless of where the abuse occurs.

Senate Bill 28 recognizes that perpetrators can be as young as 18, expands the definition of aggravated assault in child abuse cases, and making it illegal to intimidate or retaliate against a person filing a report on behalf of an abused child.

Senate Bill 30 provides penalties for falsely reporting child abuse and provides immunity for reporters in such cases.

Senate Bill 34 expands mandatory reporting requirements for schools to include abuse and "grooming" behaviors by educators, such as the use of sexually explicit text messages.

Senate Bill 1116 encourages joint child abuse investigations between police and children and youth agencies.

House Bill 321 toughens penalties for possessing child pornography. Sentencing guidelines will be based upon the age of the child, the number of images possessed, and whether the images involve indecent contact with the child.

House Bill 414 requires courts in custody proceedings to consider whether a child has been identified as a victim of child abuse by a person seeking custody or by or member of that person's household.

House Bill 1201 prohibits publishing the names of children who are victims of sexual abuse.

House Bill 1594 increases penalties for luring a child under the age of 13 into a vehicle or structure by grading the offense a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.

Several other bills to protect children from abuse are currently pending in the state Legislature.

(Kendra Nichols, "Corbett signs bills to update Pa. child abuse laws," WHTM, 12/18/13)