Pennsylvania § 6318 Immunity from liability

Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 6318 — Immunity from liability

Pennsylvania § 6318

JurisdictionPennsylvania

Title 23DOMESTIC RELATIONS

PartPART VII

Ch. 63CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES

Subch.PROVISIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR

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Bluebook

23 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 6318 (2026).

Text

(a)General rule.--A person, hospital, institution, school, facility, agency or agency employee acting in good faith shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from any of the following:

(1)Making a report of suspected child abuse or making a referral for general protective services, regardless of whether the report is required to be made under this chapter.

(2)Cooperating or consulting with an investigation under this chapter, including providing information to a child fatality or near-fatality review team.

(3)Testifying in a proceeding arising out of an instance of suspected child abuse or general protective services.

(4)Engaging in any action authorized under section 6314 (relating to photographs, medical tests and X-rays of child subject t

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(a) General rule.--A person, hospital, institution, school, facility, agency or agency employee acting in good faith shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from any of the following:

(1) Making a report of suspected child abuse or making a referral for general protective services, regardless of whether the report is required to be made under this chapter.

(2) Cooperating or consulting with an investigation under this chapter, including providing information to a child fatality or near-fatality review team.

(3) Testifying in a proceeding arising out of an instance of suspected child abuse or general protective services.

(4) Engaging in any action authorized under section 6314 (relating to photographs, medical tests and X-rays of child subject to report), 6315 (relating to taking child into protective custody), 6316 (relating to admission to private and public hospitals) or 6317 (relating to mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths).

(b) Departmental and county agency immunity.--An official or employee of the department or county agency who refers a report of suspected child abuse for general protective services to law enforcement authorities or provides services as authorized by this chapter shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from the action.

(c) Presumption of good faith.--For the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good faith of a person required to report pursuant to section 6311 (relating to persons required to report suspected child abuse) and of any person required to make a referral to law enforcement officers under this chapter shall be presumed.

Legislative History

(Dec. 16, 1994, P.L.1292, No.151, eff. July 1, 1995; Nov. 29, 2006, P.L.1581, No.179, eff. 60 days; July 3, 2008, P.L.276, No.33, eff. 180 days; Dec. 18, 2013, P.L.1201, No.119, eff. July 1, 2014)