(a) General rule.--The department shall establish a single Statewide toll-free telephone number that all persons, whether mandated by law or not, may use to report cases of suspected child abuse or children allegedly in need of general protective services. A county agency or law enforcement official shall use the Statewide toll-free telephone number or electronic technologies for determining the existence of reports of child abuse or general protective services reports in the Statewide database or reports under investigation.

(b) Limitation on use.--A county agency may only request and receive information pursuant to this subsection either on its own behalf because it has received a report of suspected child abuse or on behalf of a physician examining or treating a child or on behalf of the director or a person specifically designated in writing by the director of any hospital or other medical institution where a child is being treated, where the physician or the director or a person specifically designated in writing by the director suspects the child of being an abused child.

(c) Posting Statewide toll-free telephone number in schools.--All public and nonpublic schools that enroll students in grades kindergarten through 12 shall publicly display at each school campus a poster uniformly designed by the department that contains the Statewide toll-free telephone number for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect and any Statewide toll-free telephone number relating to school safety. The following apply:

(1) The poster shall be posted in a high-traffic, public area of the school that is readily accessible to and widely used by students.

(2) The department shall, in consultation with the Department of Education, design the poster, which shall:

(i) be 11 inches by 17 inches or larger;

(ii) display in bold print the Statewide toll-free telephone number for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect and any Statewide toll-free telephone number relating to school safety; and

(iii) include the department's publicly accessible Internet website that provides information and resources related to child protection.

(3) The department and the Department of Education shall make the poster available on their publicly accessible Internet websites to all public and nonpublic schools.

(d) Posting Statewide toll-free telephone numbers in hospitals.--All hospitals shall publicly display a poster that contains the Statewide toll-free telephone number for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect and any Statewide toll-free telephone number relating to school safety. The poster shall be 11 inches by 17 inches or larger and of a uniform design approved by the department in consultation with the Department of Health. The poster shall be posted in a high-traffic, public area of the emergency department of the hospital. The Statewide toll-free telephone numbers shall be printed in bold print. The poster shall also include the department's publicly accessible Internet website that provides information and resources related to child protection.

(Dec. 16, 1994, P.L.1292, No.151, eff. July 1, 1995; Apr. 7, 2014, P.L.388, No.29, eff. Dec. 31, 2014; June 28, 2018, P.L.375, No.54, eff. 60 days)

2018 Amendment. Act 54 added subsecs. (c) and (d).

2014 Amendment. Act 29 amended subsec. (a).

Cross References. Section 6332 is referred to in sections 6313, 6368 of this title.