(a) Request for information.--A county agency or law enforcement official shall use the Statewide toll-free telephone number, or any manner prescribed by the department, to determine the existence of any prior reports involving a subject of the report. If the Statewide database contains information related to a report or a pending investigation or assessment concerning a subject of the report, the department shall immediately convey this information to the county agency or law enforcement official.
(b) Verification of need.--Information may be released under this section if a request for information is made orally or in writing and the department has done all of the following:
(1) Identified the requester, including electronic verification of the requester's identity.
(2) Determined whether the requester is authorized to obtain the information under this section.
(3) Provided notice to the requester that access and dissemination of the information is restricted as provided by this chapter.
(4) Obtained an affirmation by the requester that the request is within the scope of that person's official duties and the provisions of this chapter.
(c) Use by county agency or law enforcement official.--A county agency or law enforcement official may only request the information under subsection (a) for the purposes of investigating reports of child abuse, assessing allegations that a child is in need of general protective services, providing protective services to a child or investigating a crime against a child criminal offense. The following shall apply where information is requested pursuant to this section:
(1) A law enforcement official may use information contained in the Statewide database for the purpose of investigating a criminal offense as follows:
(i) Information regarding indicated and founded reports may be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter.
(ii) Information on all other reports may be used for the purposes of investigating a crime involving harm or threatened harm to a child, an alleged violation of section 6319 (relating to penalties for failure to report or to refer) or 6349 (relating to penalties) or an alleged violation of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4906.1 (relating to false reports of child abuse) or 4958 (relating to intimidation, retaliation or obstruction in child abuse cases).
(2) A county agency may use information contained in the Statewide database as follows:
(i) Information regarding indicated or founded reports may be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter.
(ii) Information on all other reports may be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter, except that information in reports that are not founded or indicated may not be used as evidence by the county agency when determining that a new report of suspected abuse is an indicated report.
(3) The department may use information contained in the Statewide database as follows:
(i) Information regarding indicated or founded reports may be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter.
(ii) Information on all other reports may be used for any purpose authorized by this chapter, except that information in reports that are not founded or indicated may not be used as evidence by the department when determining that a new report of suspected abuse is an indicated report.
(4) Information in the Statewide database may not be used for any purpose not authorized by this chapter.
(d) Authorized releases for governmental functions.--No person, other than an employee of the department in the course of official duties in connection with the responsibilities of the department under this chapter, shall have access to any information in the Statewide database except as provided under this section and the following:
(1) Section 6334 (relating to disposition of complaints received).
(2) Section 6340 (relating to release of information in confidential reports).
(3) Section 6342 (relating to studies of data in records).
(4) Section 6343 (relating to investigating performance of county agency).
(5) Section 6343.1 (relating to citizen review panels).
(6) Section 6347 (relating to reports to Governor and General Assembly).
(e) Certifications.--Information provided in response to inquiries under section 6344 (relating to employees having contact with children; adoptive and foster parents), 6344.1 (relating to information relating to certified or licensed child-care home residents) or 6344.2 (relating to volunteers having contact with children) shall not include unfounded reports of child abuse or reports related to general protective services and shall be limited to the following:
(1) Whether the person was named as a perpetrator of child abuse in a founded or indicated report.
(2) Whether there is an investigation pending in which the individual is an alleged perpetrator.
(3) The number, date of the incidents upon which the report is based and the type of abuse or neglect involved in any reports identified under paragraph (1).
(f) Electronic technologies.--Requests under this section may be made using electronic technologies if appropriate verification is made in accordance with subsection (b).
(Dec. 16, 1994, P.L.1292, No.151, eff. July 1, 1995; Dec. 15, 1998, P.L.963, No.127, eff. Mar. 1, 1999; Apr. 7, 2014, P.L.388, No.29, eff. Dec. 31, 2014; Oct. 22, 2014, P.L.2529, No.153, eff. Dec. 31, 2014; July 1, 2015, P.L.94, No.15, eff. imd.)
2015 Amendment. Act 15 amended subsec. (e).