Providing for and protecting our children.

Pat’s commitment to future generations of Pennsylvanians is clear in his legislative advocacy for children and young adults.

• Pat wrote legislation that helped strengthen Pennsylvania’s child protection laws by recognizing that perpetrators can be as young as 18 and expanding the definition of aggravated assault in child abuse cases. In addition, it created the new offense of “intimidation or retaliation in child abuse cases” which not only protects the victim but also the reporter or witness who acts on behalf of the abused child. This legislation was part of a 10-bill package aimed at providing sweeping improvements to PA’s child protection laws following the recommendations made by the Pennsylvania Task Force on Child Protection.

• With the long-term effects of concussions becoming a national concern, Pat authored legislation that increases awareness and prevention of traumatic head injuries among Pennsylvania’s scholastic athletes. The measure sets clear guidelines for getting injured students off the playing field and ensuring that they are healthy before they can return. The “Safety in Youth Sports Act” requires students showing symptoms of a concussion to be sidelined until evaluated and medically cleared by an appropriate medical professional. As part of the campaign to focus on head injuries and concussions, Pat worked with brain injury awareness advocates and the National Football League, including former players, and former athletes who have suffered severely from the effects of concussions and head injuries.

• Pat sponsored the “Ounce of Prevention Act,” which sets standards for investment in nurse home visiting programs that provide support for at-risk families and their newborn children.

• To promote better, more effective coordination of service to at-risk youth by county government departments, Pat authored legislation that will allow for the sharing of county agency, juvenile probation, drug and alcohol, mental health and education records in certain cases involving juveniles.

• Pat sponsored the “Child Abuse Responsibility Act,” which increases accountability by supervisors for child abuse committed by their employees.

• Pat authored the “Interstate Compact on Child Custody Act”, which protects children in custody disputes across state lines.