Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes
Chapter 63 - Child Protective Services
Section 6346 - Cooperation of other agencies


(a) General rule.--The secretary may request and shall receive from Commonwealth agencies, political subdivisions, an authorized agency or any other agency providing services under the local protective services plan any assistance and data that will enable the department and the county agency to fulfill their responsibilities properly, including law enforcement officials when assistance is needed in conducting an investigation or an assessment of safety or risk to the child. School districts shall cooperate with the department and the agency by providing them upon request with the information as is consistent with law.
(b) Willful failure to cooperate.--Any agency, school or facility or any person acting on behalf of an agency, school or facility that violates this section by willfully failing to cooperate with the department or a county agency when investigating a report of suspected child abuse or when assessing safety or risk to a child commits a misdemeanor of the third degree for a first violation and a misdemeanor of the second degree for subsequent violations.
(c) Cooperation of county agency and law enforcement officials.--Consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the county agency and law enforcement officials shall cooperate and coordinate, to the fullest extent possible, their efforts to respond to and investigate reports of suspected child abuse.
(d) Advice to county agency.--Whenever a report of suspected child abuse is referred from a county agency to a law enforcement official pursuant to section 6340(a)(9) and (10) (relating to release of information in confidential reports), as soon as possible, and without jeopardizing the criminal investigation or prosecution, the law enforcement official shall advise the county agency as to whether a criminal investigation has been undertaken and the results of the investigation and of any criminal prosecution. The county agency shall ensure that the information is referred to the Statewide database.
(Dec. 16, 1994, P.L.1292, No.151, eff. July 1, 1995; Dec. 15, 1998, P.L.963, No.127, eff. Mar. 1, 1999; Apr. 7, 2014, P.L.388, No.29, eff. Dec. 31, 2014; May 14, 2014, P.L.653, No.45, eff. Dec. 31, 2014)

2014 Amendments. Act 29 amended the entire section and Act 45 amended subsecs. (b) and (c).

Structure Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Pennsylvania Consolidated & Unconsolidated Statutes

Title 23 - DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Chapter 63 - Child Protective Services

Extra - Chapter Notes

Section 6301 - Short title of chapter

Section 6302 - Findings and purpose of chapter

Section 6303 - Definitions

Section 6304 - Exclusions from child abuse

Section 6305 - Electronic reporting

Section 6306 - Regulations

Section 6311 - Persons required to report suspected child abuse

Section 6311.1 - Privileged communications

Section 6312 - Persons encouraged to report suspected child abuse

Section 6313 - Reporting procedure

Section 6314 - Photographs, medical tests and X-rays of child subject to report

Section 6315 - Taking child into protective custody

Section 6316 - Admission to private and public hospitals

Section 6317 - Mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths

Section 6318 - Immunity from liability

Section 6319 - Penalties

Section 6320 - Protection from employment discrimination

Section 6331 - Establishment of Statewide database

Section 6332 - Establishment of Statewide toll-free telephone number

Section 6333 - Continuous availability of department

Section 6334 - Disposition of complaints received

Section 6334.1 - Responsibility for investigation

Section 6335 - Access to information in Statewide database

Section 6336 - Information in Statewide database

Section 6337 - Disposition and expunction of unfounded reports and general protective services reports

Section 6338 - Disposition of founded and indicated reports

Section 6338.1 - Expunction of information of perpetrator who was under 18 years of age when child abuse was committed

Section 6339 - Confidentiality of reports

Section 6340 - Release of information in confidential reports

Section 6340.1 - Exchange of information

Section 6341 - Amendment or expunction of information

Section 6342 - Studies of data in records

Section 6343 - Investigating performance of county agency

Section 6343.1 - Citizen review panels

Section 6344 - Employees having contact with children; adoptive and foster parents

Section 6344.1 - Information relating to certified or licensed child-care home residents

Section 6344.2 - Volunteers having contact with children

Section 6344.3 - Continued employment or participation in program, activity or service

Section 6344.4 - Recertification

Section 6345 - Audits by Attorney General

Section 6346 - Cooperation of other agencies

Section 6347 - Reports to Governor and General Assembly

Section 6348 - Regulations

Section 6349 - Penalties

Section 6361 - Organization for child protective services

Section 6362 - Responsibilities of county agency for child protective services

Section 6363 - County plan for protective services

Section 6364 - Purchasing services of other agencies

Section 6365 - Services for prevention, investigation and treatment of child abuse

Section 6366 - Continuous availability to receive reports

Section 6367 - Reports to department and coroner

Section 6368 - Investigation of reports

Section 6369 - Taking child into protective custody (Repealed)

Section 6370 - Voluntary or court-ordered services; findings of child abuse

Section 6371 - Rehabilitative services for child and family

Section 6372 - Protecting well-being of children maintained outside home

Section 6373 - General protective services responsibilities of county agency

Section 6374 - Principles and goals of general protective services

Section 6375 - County agency requirements for general protective services

Section 6376 - Appeals with respect to general protective services

Section 6377 - Caseloads

Section 6378 - Purchase of services

Section 6381 - Evidence in court proceedings

Section 6382 - Guardian ad litem for child in court proceedings (Repealed)

Section 6383 - Education and training

Section 6384 - Legislative oversight

Section 6385 - Reimbursement to county agencies

Section 6386 - Notification to department and development of plan of safe care for children under one year of age

Section 6387 - Pandemic of 2020

Section 6388 - Task Force on Child Pornography