SB 1050 Pennsylvania Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further providing for exclusions from child abuse and for persons required to report suspected child abuse.

SB 1050 modifies Pennsylvania's child protective services laws by clarifying who must report suspected child abuse and expanding exemptions from the definition of child abuse. It directly affects child welfare professionals, healthcare providers, and educators who currently have mandatory reporting duties. The bill adds specific categories of actions or circumstances that are excluded from being classified as child abuse, reducing the scope of mandatory reporting requirements. This change aims to streamline reporting obligations while maintaining protections for children.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Oct 2025

Committee Review

Nov 2025

Senate Passage

Nov 2025

House Passage

Governor

Introduced Oct 8, 2025 Last action Nov 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN1224 → Printer's No. PN1284 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates the Pennsylvania child abuse reporting laws to explicitly include child-on-child sexual abuse in the list of crimes that must be reported. It also adds new protections for staff members at institutions, requiring them to immediately notify their supervisors when they suspect abuse among children under their care, while preventing retaliation against these reporters.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of mandatory reporting to specifically cover sexual abuse committed by one child against another, which was not explicitly detailed in the previous version.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section requiring staff at medical facilities, schools, and agencies to immediately notify their supervisors when they suspect child-on-child abuse, ensuring institutional cooperation with investigations.

DEFINITION

Explicitly listed specific sexual crimes, including indecent assault and indecent exposure, as acts constituting child-on-child contact that must be reported.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date for the new reporting requirements to 60 days after enactment, while the rest of the bill takes effect in 90 days.

ENFORCEMENT

Clarified that intimidation or obstruction of investigations by institutions is subject to criminal penalties under existing state law.

Floor votes · Senate Nov 19, 2025

How they voted

46–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 50

Nov 19, 2025

D Democratic23

21 Yea 2

91% Yea

R Republican27

25 Yea 2

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Nov 19, 2025

Committee

Referred to Judiciary

lower

Nov 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

Third consideration and final passage

upper

Nov 18, 2025

Upper · Passed

Re-reported as committed

upper

Nov 17, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Appropriations

upper

Oct 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported as amended

upper

Oct 8, 2025

Committee

Referred to Judiciary

upper

1 primary · 21 co-sponsors