Hearing scheduled on child-abuse reporting requirements

Pennsylvania's laws don't adequately protect children from abuse, and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., is looking to change that, not just in the Keystone State, but across the country.

Penn State's recent troubles highlighted the problem and spurred Mr. Casey to request a hearing of the Senate Health, Education Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Children and Families. Its chairwoman, Barbara Mikulski, D-Md. and ranking Republican Richard Burr of North Carolina agreed and have scheduled a hearing for Dec. 13 in Washington.

"This hearing will be an opportunity to ensure that our federal laws are protecting our children from dangerous sexual predators," Mr. Casey said. "The events of the last weeks are a clarion call for action to ensure that every adult is responsible for reporting the sexual abuse of a child to the proper government authorities."

Currently, only 18 states require all adults to report suspected child abuse. Pennsylvania is not one of them. 

Read more in tomorrow's Post-Gazette.