HB 2766 — An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further providing for definitions, for exclusions from child abuse, for electronic reporting, for persons encouraged to report suspected child abuse, for reporting procedure, for mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths, for establishment of Statewide database, for disposition of complaints received, for access to information in Statewide database and for information in Statewide database, providing for child abuse registry, further providing for disposition and expunction of unfounded reports and general protective services reports, for disposition of founded and indicated reports, for expunction of information of perpetrator who was under 18 years of age when child abuse was committed, for confidentiality of reports, for release of information in confidential reports, for exchange of information, for amendment or expunction of information, for studies of data in records, for investigating performance of county agency, for employees having contact with children and adoptive and foster parents and for information relating to certified or licensed child-care home residents, providing for child-care centers, group child-care homes and family child-care homes, further providing for volunteers having contact with children, for continued employment or participation in program, activity or service, for recertification, for reports to Governor and General Assembly, for penalties, for reports to department and coroner, for investigation of reports and for voluntary or court-ordered services and findings of child abuse; and making editorial changes.

Summary

Revisions to the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL)

Bill Text

• Printer's No. 3872 View text Current

Compared against the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill amends existing definitions and procedures related to child abuse reporting in Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303

  "Child abuse registry." The Commonwealth's Statewide registry of persons named as substantiated perpetrators of child abuse.

  Adds a definition for 'Child abuse registry'.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303

  Child day-care → Child-care centers.

  Updates the terminology for child-care services.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303

  [day-care] Child-care services or programs that are offered by a school. → [day-care] Child-care services or programs that are offered by a school.

  Clarifies child-care terminology under the definition of 'child-care services'.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303

  [18] 14 years → [14] 14 years

  Lowers the age requirement to classify someone as a perpetrator to 14 years.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6303

  [a severe form of trafficking in persons or sex trafficking, as those terms are defined under section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (114 Stat. 1466, 22 U.S.C. § 7102)] → human trafficking.

  Simplifies the definition of engaging a child in trafficking.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6304

  if any of the following conditions apply: (1) The use of reasonable force constitutes incidental, minor or reasonable physical contact with the child or other actions that are designed to maintain order and control. (2) The use of reasonable force is necessary: (i) to quell a disturbance or remove the child from the scene of a disturbance that threatens physical injury to persons or damage to property; (ii) to prevent the child from self-inflicted physical harm; (iii) for self-defense or the defense of another individual; or (iv) to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects or controlled substances or paraphernalia that are on the child or within the control of the child.

  Removes specific conditions under which reasonable force is applied as non-abusive.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6312

  [which may be submitted electronically,]

  Removes unnecessary text regarding the electronic submission of reports.

• 23 Pa.C.S. § 6313

  [which may be submitted electronically]

  Clarifies the reporting procedure by removing redundant text about electronic submissions.

Action History

1. September 14, 2026

   Referred to JUDICIARY, Sept. 14, 2026

Sponsors

• Heather Boyd · Cosponsor
• Benjamin V. Sanchez · Cosponsor
• Jeanne McNeill · Cosponsor
• Dan K. Williams · Cosponsor
• Ed Neilson · Cosponsor
• Kristine C. Howard · Cosponsor
• John C. Inglis III · Cosponsor
• Nikki Rivera · Cosponsor
• Manuel Guzman · Cosponsor
• Melissa L. Shusterman · Cosponsor
• Joe Webster · Cosponsor
• Carol Hill-Evans · Cosponsor
• Sheryl M. Delozier · Cosponsor
• Liz Hanbidge · Primary

Subjects