Pennsylvania requires reporting of AI child sexual abuse images under newly signed law

Pennsylvania is making explicit that AI-generated sexual abuse images of children belong in mandatory abuse reports, including when another child creates them. Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed the change into law after a school case in which parents allege adults received a warning but failed to contact police or ChildLine.

The reporting duty reaches material made by minors

House Bill 2474 requires mandated reporters to report all child sexual abuse material they become aware of, including material produced by a minor. Teachers, childcare workers, healthcare providers and other people responsible for caring for children are among those covered, according to a Pennsylvania Senate summary.

The change brings AI-generated content into offenses that must be reported to Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services. Its focus is the adult’s reporting responsibility when abuse involves children on both sides—not just cases involving an adult perpetrator. Rep. Nikki Rivera, a Lancaster County Democrat, told WHP the changes are intended to remove uncertainty about a child’s intent or whether an AI-created image is real.

Implementation is set for 90 days after signing, rather than immediately. Mandated reporters will also receive new training.

Clarifying the responsibilities of those who report suspected abuse will help ensure that every child receives the protection and support they need.

Sen. Lisa Baker, in the Pennsylvania Senate Republicans’ October 21 statement

A school case put reporting failures at the center

The legislation followed a 2023 case in which two students used AI to create sexually explicit images of at least 59 minor girls. The students attended Lancaster Country Day School, where classmates were depicted in the generated images.

The parents’ lawsuit alleges the school received a tip about the images but did not contact police or ChildLine.

Lindsay Witmer, whose two daughters were among the victims, told WHP that her family later viewed the images at a police station. She described them as looking completely real and said she feared where they might have spread.

Witmer welcomed the signing and credited her daughter Maddy with pushing for changes. She said her daughter met with Sen. Malone and Rivera, who supported the effort to turn her request into legislation.

Hazing joined the same reporting overhaul

The signed measure also adds hazing to mandatory reporting rules. Those provisions were added through an amendment following an incident involving the Manheim Central football team. The Senate’s explanation identified a related gap: Pennsylvania law did not treat hazing as child abuse when one child committed it against another.

House Bill 2474 was introduced in April 2026 and mirrored language from a Senate bill introduced in October 2025. The Senate unanimously approved the House measure on October 21, then returned it to the House for agreement on amendments.