Older Student Protection
January 8, 2015 11:39 AM to All House Members
Circulated By
Representative Tina Davis
D House District 141
Memo
In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation – House Bill 854 – to amend Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to require school employees to report alleged cases of abuse of older school students who suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities and have been placed in an individualized education program (IEP).
As you may know, the Child Protective Services Law requires school employees to report cases of alleged abuse of students under the age of eighteen, with no exception based on school setting or student disability. With this in mind, there are instances in which students over the age of eighteen who are enrolled in schools throughout the Commonwealth and suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities thus requiring an IEP, have been victims of abuse. To help address this problem, my legislation would amend Title 23 by adding a new chapter - Chapter 64 – Older Student Protection.
Under this chapter, a student would be defined as an individual who is enrolled in a public or private school and is eighteen years of age or older, suffers from serious mental or learning disabilities, and has been prescribed an individualized education program. My legislation would require a school employee who has reasonable cause to suspect that an older school student is a victim of sexual abuse, serious injury, or serious bodily injury, to notify the administrator of the school. In turn, the administrator would immediately report the suspected abuse to law enforcement officials. Furthermore, school employees and administrators who fail to report the suspected abuse commit a misdemeanor of the third degree.
Protecting all students in this Commonwealth – particularly students who suffer from serious disabilities and may have difficulty reporting instances of abuse – should be of the utmost concern for us as elected officials. I invite you to co-sponsor this important legislation.
As you may know, the Child Protective Services Law requires school employees to report cases of alleged abuse of students under the age of eighteen, with no exception based on school setting or student disability. With this in mind, there are instances in which students over the age of eighteen who are enrolled in schools throughout the Commonwealth and suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities thus requiring an IEP, have been victims of abuse. To help address this problem, my legislation would amend Title 23 by adding a new chapter - Chapter 64 – Older Student Protection.
Under this chapter, a student would be defined as an individual who is enrolled in a public or private school and is eighteen years of age or older, suffers from serious mental or learning disabilities, and has been prescribed an individualized education program. My legislation would require a school employee who has reasonable cause to suspect that an older school student is a victim of sexual abuse, serious injury, or serious bodily injury, to notify the administrator of the school. In turn, the administrator would immediately report the suspected abuse to law enforcement officials. Furthermore, school employees and administrators who fail to report the suspected abuse commit a misdemeanor of the third degree.
Protecting all students in this Commonwealth – particularly students who suffer from serious disabilities and may have difficulty reporting instances of abuse – should be of the utmost concern for us as elected officials. I invite you to co-sponsor this important legislation.
Legislation
Document - Introduced as HB 1970
Older Student Protection
January 8, 2015 11:39 AM to All House Members
Circulated By
DAVIS
Memo
In the near future, I will re-introduce legislation – House Bill 854 – to amend Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to require school employees to report alleged cases of abuse of older school students who suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities and have been placed in an individualized education program (IEP).
As you may know, the Child Protective Services Law requires school employees to report cases of alleged abuse of students under the age of eighteen, with no exception based on school setting or student disability. With this in mind, there are instances in which students over the age of eighteen who are enrolled in schools throughout the Commonwealth and suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities thus requiring an IEP, have been victims of abuse. To help address this problem, my legislation would amend Title 23 by adding a new chapter - Chapter 64 – Older Student Protection.
Under this chapter, a student would be defined as an individual who is enrolled in a public or private school and is eighteen years of age or older, suffers from serious mental or learning disabilities, and has been prescribed an individualized education program. My legislation would require a school employee who has reasonable cause to suspect that an older school student is a victim of sexual abuse, serious injury, or serious bodily injury, to notify the administrator of the school. In turn, the administrator would immediately report the suspected abuse to law enforcement officials. Furthermore, school employees and administrators who fail to report the suspected abuse commit a misdemeanor of the third degree.
Protecting all students in this Commonwealth – particularly students who suffer from serious disabilities and may have difficulty reporting instances of abuse – should be of the utmost concern for us as elected officials. I invite you to co-sponsor this important legislation.
As you may know, the Child Protective Services Law requires school employees to report cases of alleged abuse of students under the age of eighteen, with no exception based on school setting or student disability. With this in mind, there are instances in which students over the age of eighteen who are enrolled in schools throughout the Commonwealth and suffer from serious mental or learning disabilities thus requiring an IEP, have been victims of abuse. To help address this problem, my legislation would amend Title 23 by adding a new chapter - Chapter 64 – Older Student Protection.
Under this chapter, a student would be defined as an individual who is enrolled in a public or private school and is eighteen years of age or older, suffers from serious mental or learning disabilities, and has been prescribed an individualized education program. My legislation would require a school employee who has reasonable cause to suspect that an older school student is a victim of sexual abuse, serious injury, or serious bodily injury, to notify the administrator of the school. In turn, the administrator would immediately report the suspected abuse to law enforcement officials. Furthermore, school employees and administrators who fail to report the suspected abuse commit a misdemeanor of the third degree.
Protecting all students in this Commonwealth – particularly students who suffer from serious disabilities and may have difficulty reporting instances of abuse – should be of the utmost concern for us as elected officials. I invite you to co-sponsor this important legislation.
Document
Introduced as HB 1970
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