23 Pa.C.S. § 6346 Cooperation of Other Agencies

• Library: Pennsylvania Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.A. Acts 2023-66
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 23 Pa.C.S. § 6346

(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 [personnel] 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 [district] or facility or any person acting on behalf of an agency, school [district] 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 a report under subchapter c.1 (relating to students in public and private schools)] 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 [agencies] officials.--Consistent with the provisions of this chapter, the county agency and law enforcement [agencies] officials shall cooperate and coordinate, to the fullest extent possible, their efforts to respond to and investigate reports of suspected child abuse.