Act 31-Frequently Asked Questions (2023)

FAQs

How long is Act 31 good for in PA? ›

How long is my Act 31 Mandated Reporter Training Certificate good for? Certificates of completion are valid until your next license renewal date. The 2-hour version of the Act 31 Child Abuse course must be taken again each time you renew your PA license.

Act 31 of 2014 states that the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs (BPOA), in conjunction with the Department of Human Services (DHS) is required to ensure that all persons applying for issuance of an initial license as a health-related licensee or funeral director (mandatory reporters under section 6311 of ...

All volunteers are required to complete the Mandated Reporter Training annually. Certificates expire one year from the date of completion.

Every employee of a school entity and its independent contractors who have direct contact with children must complete a minimum of three hours of training every five years.

Looking at this from another angle, a score of 31 on the ACT puts you at the 95th percentile — that means you scored higher than 95% of all test takers. Additionally, a 31 is within the range of scores that elite and extremely selective colleges accept on average.

That being said, based on national averages, benchmark scores, and national percentiles, a 31 is a very good ACT score. The national percentiles of composite scores fluctuate by the year and by the test, but earning a composite score of 31 usually ranks you in the 95th-97th percentile of all test takers in the nation.

How long does it take to get the clearances? Some of the clearances come back within a few minutes but it could take up to 4 weeks. The online application process depends on several factors but could take an hour or more in total.

Complete your clearance application online using a credit card for a cost of $22. You are responsible for this cost. If you are unable to accomplish your clearance application online, you can print out the form and mail it to the State Police.

By law, all child abuse history clearance applications must be processed no later than 14 days from the receipt of the application (CY 113 form).

What if a mandated reporter fails to follow the law? The penalties for a mandated reporter who willfully fails to report child abuse range from a misdemeanor of the second degree to a felony of the second degree.

Do mandated reporters in PA have to give their name? ›

The law requires that the mandated reporter identify themselves and where they can be reached.

These live sessions are open to any mandated reporters at no cost.

All persons are protected from civil and criminal liability if acting in good faith when reporting, cooperating and consulting in investigations, testifying in proceedings as a result of the report, taking photographs, arranging for medical tests and x-rays, taking a child into protective custody (as allowed under the ...

Are you a Mandated or Permissive Reporter in need of training? Go to the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center for a FREE 3-hour on-line course that provides information on: Recognition of child maltreatment. Your obligation or opportunity to report suspicions of abuse.

Act 126 requires that all school entities (a public school, charter school, cyber charter school, private school, nonpublic school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school) and independent contractors of school entities provide child abuse recognition and reporting training to all employees, including ...

The student has a top 10% class rank and a 3.9 unweighted GPA. And here's what the Clemson net price calculator says the student is likely to get in aid, with various scores. Here, you can see that a student with 27 ACT score gets zero merit money. A 31 gets the student $10,000 per year or $40,000 over four years.

Generally speaking, you need a minimum ACT score of 31 to get into an Ivy League School. The minimum score is 32 at a few of these schools, including Harvard and Yale. The minimum SAT score to get into an Ivy League school ranges from 690 to 730 for the reading section and from 700 to 730 for the math section.

If your composite score was a 31, for instance, you would be in the 95^th percentile, meaning you did better on the entire ACT than 95% of the other students.

Has the ACT gotten harder over the years? ›

Relatively speaking, the ACT has gotten “harder” over the years. As students start to do better on ACT, the test-makers gradually adjust the difficulty level of the test. And students have gotten better. In 1970, the average composite score nationwide was 18.6.

Security Clearance Level 3: Confidential

Confidential security clearance holders have access to material that could be reasonably expected to cause some measurable damage to national security. Most military personnel hold this security clearance level.

The SF-86 form requests information back 7 years for employment and residence; however, to comply with the investigative standards, 10 years is required. Citizenship of yourself and “immediate” family members (spouse, children, mother, father, brothers and sisters).

Based on survey data, on average, a security clearance generates 10-20% salary premium with higher clearances commanding the largest increases.

But assuming you don't have go down that path, the process to getting a Secret clearance is fairly straightforward. It just isn't always that fast. Timelines have changed over the years, but you'll want to have some back-up work in the hopper while you wait for either an interim Secret clearance or the final decision.

The mission of the FBI is vital to the safety and security of our nation and its citizens. Often, our work is very sensitive in nature. Therefore, all FBI positions require at least a Top Secret Clearance; special agents must be able to obtain a Top Secret SCI Clearance.

The denial rate for interim clearances is around 20 to 30% but is only 1% for full security clearances. So if you receive a denial, be patient; odds are you'll be a security clearance holder working to protect our national security soon.

Just under 10% of applicants are denied by the National Security Agency. Just under 7% are denied by the CIA and just over 7% are rejected by the National Reconnaissance Office. Every candidate is evaluated carefully during the security clearance application process. What can you do if your application was denied?

The total cost of the clearance is $22.60, and there is a $1.00 processing fee for credit cards. What if I registered for fingerprints prior to the transition to the new vendor? Fingerprinting is no longer being handled by Gemalto Cogent, Pennsylvania's previous vendor.

What crime is failure to report in PA? ›

The first offense of willful failure to report is a second-degree misdemeanor. Penalties are increased to a third-degree felony if the mandated reporter willfully fails to report child abuse that is a felony of the first degree or higher and the mandated reporter has direct knowledge of the nature of the abuse.

It is not required by Pennsylvania law or Penn State policy to report historical abuse if the alleged victim is now over the age of 18. While not required, it is best to discuss and encourage reporting with the alleged victim and also to encourage them to get support services if they have not already done so.

YES. Mandated reporters, by law, must report suspected abuse when you have reason to suspect on the basis of medical, professional or other training and experience, that the child has been abused.

If a reported crime is investigated by law enforcement authorities and found to be false or baseless, meaning that the crime did not occur or was never attempted, the crime is “unfounded”. Only sworn or commissioned law enforcement personnel may unfound a crime.

Evaluation and documentation of the burn pattern should be precise. Multiple burns of varying ages and types that obviously could not have occurred from the same accident (for example, cigarette and scald burns or different types of scald burns) are strong indicators of child abuse.

Emotional Neglect or Rejection. Emotional neglect can be defined as a relationship pattern in which an individual's affectional needs are consistently disregarded, ignored, invalidated, or unappreciated by a significant other.

As educators, PSEA members have mandatory reporting requirements involving suspected cases of physical and sexual abuse of students.

An attorney affiliated with an agency, institution, organization or other entity, including a school or regularly established religious organization that is responsible for the care, supervision, guidance or control of children.

In New Jersey and Wyoming, ALL persons are required to report suspected child abuse, regardless of profession.

Mandated reporters have immunity from state criminal or civil liability for reporting as required. This is true even if the mandated reporter acquired the knowledge, or suspicion of the abuse or neglect, outside his/her professional capacity or scope of employment.

What is the Reporter Shield law in Pennsylvania? ›

The Pennsylvania Shield Law and the First Amendment reporter's privilege provide broad protections to reporters in Pennsylvania who are subpoenaed for their notes, documents, or testimony. The Shield Law is an absolute privilege that precludes the compelled disclosure of confidential source information.

No mandated reporter shall be civilly or criminally liable for any report required by CANRA. This immunity also applies even if you acquired the knowledge or reasonable suspicion of the abuse or neglect outside your professional capacity or scope of employment.

Mandatory Reporting

If the abuse involves serious injury, sexual abuse or suspicious death, reporters must also call police and the Pennsylvania Department of Aging at 717-783-6207. In addition, the reporter may also call the Pennsylvania Department of Health Nursing Home Complaint Line at 800-254-5164.

Who is a permissive reporter? Permissive reporters are individuals who are encouraged to report suspected child abuse, although not required by law. When can permissive reporters make a report? Permissive reporters can make a report at any time they suspect a child is the victim of child abuse.

ChildLine will provide information, counseling, and referral services for families and children to ensure the safety and well being of the children of Pennsylvania. All Pennsylvania EMS providers are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse or neglect; however, anyone can make a report of suspected child abuse.

Fortunately, ACT scores never expire, meaning nontraditional students returning to school may use their scores from many years in the past if needed. Those who took the ACT before 2016 will view a different score report than the current version.

The good news is there is no official expiration of the ACT score according to ACT, Inc. However, any test-taker who had taken the test five years ago is encouraged to retake the examination.

In order to comply with Pennsylvania legislation (ACT 153), your position requires that you secure a new Act 33 Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance every 60 months.

31 is an excellent ACT score. The highest ACT score possible is a 36. An average ACT score is 20, so 31 is well-above average. If you earned a 31 on the ACT, congratulations! Students who score a composite score of 31 on the ACT have a national rank of 95.

Relatively speaking, the ACT has gotten “harder” over the years. As students start to do better on ACT, the test-makers gradually adjust the difficulty level of the test. And students have gotten better. In 1970, the average composite score nationwide was 18.6.

Should I retake the ACT if I got a 32? ›

Should I Retake the ACT with a 32 Score? You're in a great position to go to college and, unless a college you really want to apply to wants a higher score, there's no particular reason to retake it. A 32 ACT not only makes you an eligible candidate for acceptance, it also makes you a competitive one.

People of all ages and grade levels are eligible to take the ACT.

ACT Inc., which administers the exam, lets you take the test up to 12 times, though it's best to take it no more than 2-3 times. Beyond that, you're unlikely to boost your scores substantially. What's more, multiple retakes might reflect negatively on your college application.

You can't choose which test scores they will see; schools will see them all. However, they will not know that you also took the ACT in October, and they won't know what your scores were on that administration.

You can take the ACT up to 12 times, and many students end up taking the test between 2-3 times before applying to college. Most colleges are neutral about multiple scores. Many students, in fact, make score improvements by retaking the ACT. Give yourself time to improve before you begin filling out applications.

State law places no restrictions on how far back a Pennsylvania criminal background check can search, and permits employers to consider relevant convictions, no matter how old, when making a hiring decision.

Should I Retake the ACT with a 33 Score? With a 33 ACT score, there's no need to retake the exam. The only reason to consider retaking the ACT is to increase your competitiveness at the most elite colleges. Because competition for elite schools is fierce, every extra point both on your ACT score and GPA will help.

The average scores of students accepted at Duke are between 31-35. The national average is 21, so Duke students are expected to excel at this entrance exam.