Dec. 16, 2019
HARRISBURG – Legislation to protect youth from child abuse involving a member of the U.S. Armed Forces has been approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, says Rep. Todd Polinchock (R-Bucks), who authored the measure.
“By recognizing the Defense Department’s Family Advocacy Program, we are taking a major step in ending child and domestic abuse in military communities,” said Polinchock.
The Family Advocacy Program, established by the U.S. Department of Defense, was formed to address child and domestic abuse in military communities.
House Bill 1290 would extend the effort to protect military families from abuse by requiring Child Protective Services (CPS) to notify the Family Advocacy Program’s Commonwealth representative or the service member’s installation.
“The children and spouses of military personnel are just as much a part of our communities as anyone else and deserve the same amount of protection from child and domestic abuse,” said Polinchock.
The current law does not require CPS to identify military families in child abuse cases, nor report such cases to appropriate military authorities.
House Bill 1290 now awaits consideration in the state Senate.
Representative Todd Polinchock
144th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives