License renewal · Mandated reporting
Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training for Licensure: New York and Pennsylvania Compared
How New York's one-time child abuse course, its November 17, 2026 update and Pennsylvania's Act 31 renewal hours actually work, who each rule covers, and how to tell whether you need to retake anything this year.
Reviewed October 2026 against NYSED Office of the Professions guidance, NY Education Law §6507, NY Social Services Law §§413 and 420, the Pennsylvania Department of State Act 31 page and FAQ, and 49 Pa. Code board regulations
Short answer: New York requires most licensed health and mental health professionals to complete a 2-hour child abuse identification and reporting course from a NYSED-approved provider once, usually at initial licensure, but every mandated reporter must also complete the updated curriculum on children with intellectual or developmental disabilities by November 17, 2026. Pennsylvania requires 3 hours of approved training for a first license and 2 approved hours in every biennial renewal for all health-related licensees. In both states the training only counts if it comes from a provider on the state's approved list.
Key takeaways
- New York's 2-hour course is a one-time licensure requirement for 18 listed professions, including physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, dentists, dental hygienists, psychologists, social workers and mental health counselors.
- Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024 added content on abused or maltreated children with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and NYSED says all mandated reporters, including those already trained, must complete the updated curriculum by November 17, 2026.
- If you completed an approved New York course between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025, NYSED allows a short 15-minute addendum instead of the full course; courses taken from September 1, 2025 already include the new content.
- Pennsylvania's Act 31 applies to every health-related board except veterinary medicine, even boards with no other continuing education requirement, such as licensed practical nurses.
- Pennsylvania renewals are not processed until an approved provider's electronic attendance report reaches the Department of State, which can take up to seven days.
- Neither state accepts a course that is not on its approved list, and a course approved in one state does not automatically count in the other.
New York and Pennsylvania side by side
The two states reach the same goal, clinicians who can recognize and report child abuse, by very different routes. New York treats the training as a one-time credential check, tied to the license application, and refreshes it only when the legislature changes the curriculum. Pennsylvania treats it as recurring continuing education, built into every renewal cycle. That single design difference explains almost every practical question licensees ask.
| Feature | New York | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Education Law §6507(3)(a); Social Services Law §413 | Act 31 of 2014 (Child Protective Services Law, 23 Pa.C.S. Chapter 63); board rules in 49 Pa. Code |
| Who is covered | 18 listed professions (see below) | All health-related licensees and certificate holders except veterinary medicine, plus funeral directors |
| Hours at first license | 2 hours | 3 hours |
| Hours at each renewal | None for most professions No | 2 hours every biennial cycle Yes |
| Who approves the course | NYSED (State Education Department) | Initial: Department of Human Services; renewal: Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs in consultation with DHS |
| Current change | Updated curriculum due November 17, 2026 | No curriculum deadline; DHS stopped taking new provider applications on January 1, 2025 |
| How completion is recorded | Certification of Completion submitted at initial application (licensed clinical and master social workers also at reregistration) | Provider reports attendance electronically to the Department of State |
| Counts toward other CE | Separate licensure requirement | Counts within your board's total renewal hours, not on top of them |
Sources: NYSED Office of the Professions; NY Education Law §6507; PA Department of State Act 31 page and FAQ; 49 Pa. Code §§16.108, 21.508.
New York in one line
Do an approved 2-hour course once, keep the Certification of Completion, and make sure your training includes the 2024 disabilities content by November 17, 2026.
Pennsylvania in one line
Do 3 approved hours for your first license, then 2 approved hours inside every 24-month renewal period, and confirm the provider has reported them before you renew.
Who New York's child abuse coursework rule covers
Education Law §6507(3)(a) requires applicants in listed professions to complete "two hours of coursework or training" in identifying and reporting child abuse and maltreatment, from an institution or provider approved by the State Education Department. The statute also sets the content: the physical and behavioral indicators of abuse and maltreatment, and the reporting rules in Social Services Law §§413 to 420, including when and how to report, legal protections for reporters and the consequences of failing to report.
NYSED's Office of the Professions currently lists 18 professions that must complete the training:
Clinical licensees
Physicians, registered nurses, nurse practitioners, podiatrists, chiropractors, optometrists and athletic trainers.
Oral health
Dentists and dental hygienists.
Behavioral health licensees
Psychologists, licensed clinical and licensed master social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists, psychoanalysts, licensed behavior analysts and certified behavior analyst assistants.
The requirement grew in stages. It began on January 1, 1989 for the original health professions, extended to licensed social workers on September 1, 2004, to mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists and psychoanalysts on January 1, 2005, to behavior analysts on July 1, 2014, and most recently to athletic trainers on December 22, 2025.
One-time, and often already done in school
NYSED describes the 2-hour course as "a one-time requirement and once taken does not need to be completed again." For most of the listed professions, proof is required when you first apply for a license or limited permit. Licensed clinical and licensed master social workers are the exception: NYSED ties their documentation to reregistration as well as initial application.
Many clinicians met the requirement without noticing. NYSED-registered professional programs have included the training since September 1, 1990, which is why the nursing license renewal guide notes that most nurses who graduated from a registered New York RN program after that date satisfied it through their program. Two groups commonly miss it: graduates of programs outside New York, and physicians who assume residency covered it. NYSED states that medical residency programs, taken after licensure, are not required to include the training, so residency teaching does not satisfy the requirement.
Who is not on the list
Being a mandated reporter and being required to take NYSED's course are not the same thing. Social Services Law §413 names "registered physician assistant" among the persons required to report suspected abuse, but physician assistants do not appear on NYSED's coursework list. Licensed practical nurses and pharmacists are not named in either list, although §413 also covers "hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examination, care or treatment of persons," which can bring hospital-based staff in those roles within the reporting duty. If you are a PA, the reporting duty applies to you in full even though the licensure course does not; see the PA license renewal guide for your other renewal obligations.
The November 17, 2026 New York update: who must act
New York has now changed the mandated reporter curriculum twice in five years, and each change reaches people who finished their one-time course long ago.
- Chapter 56 of the Laws of 2021 added protocols on reducing implicit bias, identifying adverse childhood experiences and recognizing signs of abuse during virtual interactions. Its deadline was April 1, 2025. (Implicit bias training is also a standalone renewal requirement in several other states; see the state-by-state implicit bias guide.)
- Chapter 25 of the Laws of 2024 amended Social Services Law §413 so that training includes guidance on identifying an abused or maltreated child who has an intellectual or developmental disability. The statute gives mandated reporters two years from its effective date to receive the updated training, and NYSED sets that deadline at November 17, 2026.
NYSED's position is that the update applies to mandated reporters "including those who have previously undergone the current training". In other words, the one-time rule still holds for the original 2-hour course, but it does not exempt you from a curriculum change the legislature has made since. Approved providers began offering updated workshops on September 1, 2025.
Implicit bias, adverse childhood experiences and virtual-interaction content.
Approved training completed in this period can be topped up with a 15-minute addendum.
Approved providers begin teaching the Chapter 25 disabilities content.
Mandated reporters must have completed the updated curriculum.
Decide in four steps whether you need the 2026 update
Confirm you are in scope
Check whether your profession is on NYSED's list of 18, or whether you are otherwise a mandated reporter under Social Services Law §413. If you hold an approved NYSED exemption because your practice has no contact with children, keep that documentation with your license records.
Find the date on your Certification of Completion
Look for the certificate your approved provider issued (providers must issue two copies within ten days of completion). If you trained as part of a NYSED-registered program, check your program records or ask the school.
Match the date to the right route
Completed on or after September 1, 2025: the updated content was included, so no further action is needed. Completed between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025: take the 15-minute addendum, which NYSED says is available through most approved providers. Completed before November 1, 2022, or no record at all: the addendum route does not apply, so complete a current, updated approved course.
Finish before November 17, 2026 and file the certificate
Keep the new certificate with your original one. NYSED requires a Certification of Completion at initial application (and, for licensed clinical and master social workers, at reregistration), and current licensees can upload documents through the Office of the Professions eServices portal.
NYSED's page does not describe a separate submission step triggered by the update itself. Do not assume that means no proof is needed: keep the addendum or updated-course certificate where you can produce it at your next reregistration, and check NYSED's page for any further instructions before the deadline.
Pennsylvania's Act 31 requirement, board by board
Pennsylvania's rule comes from Act 31 of 2014, which amended the Child Protective Services Law. The Department of State explains that all health-related licensees and certificate holders, and funeral directors, are mandatory reporters under section 6311, and that the training requirement applies to applicants for initial licensure from every health-related board except the State Board of Veterinary Medicine.
Each board writes the rule into its own regulations in near-identical terms. For physicians, 49 Pa. Code §16.108 requires at least 3 hours of training approved by DHS and the Bureau for an initial license, and at least 2 hours of approved continuing education in each biennial renewal, counted as part of the total required hours. The nursing rule, §21.508, is built the same way, as are the dentistry rule (§33.256) and the psychology rule (§41.77). The medicine, nursing and psychology rules also state that the board will not issue or renew the credential until the Bureau has received an approved provider's electronic attendance report, unless an exemption has been granted, and the Department of State FAQ confirms that no licensee can renew until that electronic verification is received.
How the 2 hours fit into your renewal
The Department of State FAQ answers the questions that cause most renewal delays:
- The 2 hours count toward your board's total required hours; they are not extra hours on top.
- They cannot replace board-specific content requirements such as ethics or other mandated topics.
- They cannot be carried over into the next renewal period.
- They must fall inside the 24-month period of your current license.
- The requirement applies even where a board has no other continuing education requirement, with licensed practical nurses given as the example.
Does the third hour of a 3-hour course count?
Many licensees take a 3-hour DHS course at renewal because it is free or convenient. Whether the extra hour counts toward your general continuing education depends on your board, and the extra hour must come from one 3-hour course, not two shorter ones combined.
| Board | Third hour counts toward board CE? |
|---|---|
| Nursing | Yes |
| Psychology | Yes |
| Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors | Yes |
| Pharmacy, Optometry, Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology | Yes |
| Massage Therapy, Nursing Home Administrators, Funeral Directors | Yes |
| Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine | No (maximum 2 hours) |
| Dentistry, Podiatry | No (maximum 2 hours) |
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State, Act 31 Frequently Asked Questions (Q12).
Pennsylvania physicians have other mandatory renewal topics alongside Act 31; those are covered in the Pennsylvania physician CME guide.
Approved providers only: choosing a course that counts
This is the point where licensees lose the most time and money. Both states define the requirement by who provides the course, not just by what it covers.
New York
The course must come from a provider on NYSED's approved list, which is searchable and can be filtered for online or in-person delivery. NYSED notes that the Office of Children and Family Services is itself an approved provider and offers the training free. Fees and formats vary by provider, and some courses run longer than the 2-hour minimum.
Pennsylvania
The Department of State FAQ is blunt: a course is acceptable only if it is listed as approved by DHS and/or the Department of State, and unlisted courses "will not be considered acceptable." The Department of State maintains a provider table showing approved hours (2, 3 or both), audience and delivery method. DHS and a University of Pittsburgh partnership offer a free 3-hour online course.
Approval does not travel across the state line. A provider approved by NYSED is not thereby approved in Pennsylvania, and a Pennsylvania Act 31 course does not count for New York unless that provider is also on NYSED's list. Where one company offers courses for both states, check the exact course title on each state's list, not just the company name.
Our Mandated Reporting course is education. It is not on NYSED's approved provider list or Pennsylvania's DHS or Department of State lists, so it does not satisfy New York's 2-hour requirement or its 2026 update, or Pennsylvania's Act 31 initial or renewal hours. Meet those requirements through a listed approved provider. Our course is designed as supporting education for clinicians who want deeper practice-level skills in recognizing, reporting and documenting abuse.
Exemptions in each state, and why few qualify
Both states offer exemptions, but they are narrow and work differently.
New York must exempt an applicant who shows, to the Department's satisfaction, that the nature of their practice makes the training unnecessary. NYSED explains that this generally means no professional contact with anyone under 18, and no contact with adults with a handicapping condition who live in a residential care school or facility. A separate exemption covers holders of certain permanent New York school credentials effective by September 1, 1990. Exemptions are claimed on NYSED's Certification of Exemption form.
Pennsylvania uses a different test. Its board rules allow a written exemption request on three grounds: you already completed equivalent child abuse training required under section 1205.6 of the Public School Code, you already completed DHS-approved training required under 23 Pa.C.S. §6383(c), or you submit other documentation the board accepts. Prior training must meet or exceed the required hours and, for renewal, fall within the same biennial period. Unlike New York, Pennsylvania will not grant an exemption solely because your practice does not involve children, and the FAQ warns that very few licensees qualify. An exemption covers only the period requested.
"I don't treat children, so the training doesn't apply to me."
In New York, that can support an exemption application, but you must apply and be granted it. In Pennsylvania, absence of children in your practice is expressly not a valid basis on its own.
"An exemption means I'm no longer a mandated reporter."
Pennsylvania's exemption form states that it does not alter your status as a mandatory reporter. In New York, the reporting duty comes from Social Services Law §413, not from the coursework rule.
"I did my one-time New York course years ago, so I'm done for good."
The original course is one-time, but NYSED says previously trained mandated reporters must still complete the updated curriculum by November 17, 2026.
What the training is for: the reporting duty in each state
The training exists to make the reporting duty usable in a busy clinic. The core trigger is similar in both states: reasonable cause to suspect abuse, based on what you see and hear in your professional role. The mechanics differ.
| Step | New York | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | "Reasonable cause to suspect" that a child coming before you in your professional capacity is abused or maltreated, including when a parent or guardian describes facts that would amount to abuse | "Reasonable cause to suspect" that a child is a victim of child abuse; you do not need direct contact with the child, and a specific disclosure from another person can trigger the duty |
| Initial report | Immediately, by phone to the Statewide Central Register mandated reporter line, 1-800-635-1522 | Immediately and directly to ChildLine, by phone at 1-800-932-0313 or electronically through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) online system |
| Written follow-up | Signed written report (LDSS-2221A) to the local child protective service within 48 hours of the oral report | If you reported by phone, a written report (which may be submitted electronically) within 48 hours to DHS or the assigned county agency |
| Inside an institution | Report yourself, then immediately notify the person in charge or their designated agent | Report yourself, then immediately notify the person in charge of the institution, school, facility or agency |
| Failure to report | Willful failure is a class A misdemeanor; knowing and willful failure creates civil liability | Penalties range from a second-degree misdemeanor to a second-degree felony |
| Reporter protection | Immunity for good-faith reports; good faith is presumed when acting in the discharge of your duties and within the scope of employment, absent willful misconduct or gross negligence | Immunity for good-faith reports; good faith is presumed |
Sources: NY SSL §§413, 415, 419 and 420; OCFS; NYC Administration for Children's Services; 23 Pa.C.S. §6313; PA DHS Keep Kids Safe FAQ and ChildLine page.
In both states the core sequence is the same: an immediate report, then a written report within 48 hours if the first report was made by phone. New York's Social Services Law §415 requires oral reports to be "followed by a report in writing within forty-eight hours", OCFS explains the LDSS-2221A form, §419 sets out reporter immunity and §420 sets the penalties. Pennsylvania's 23 Pa.C.S. §6313 requires an immediate oral or electronic report and, after an oral report, a written report within 48 hours, and DHS describes an "immediate and direct report" to ChildLine, available around the clock. New York's OCFS also directs anyone who believes a child is in immediate danger to call 911 or local police.
The 2024 New York update matters clinically, not just administratively. Children with intellectual or developmental disabilities may be less able to disclose abuse, and signs can be misattributed to the disability itself. That is the gap the new content is designed to close, and it is a useful topic to revisit whatever state you practice in.
Licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania
Clinicians near the New York-Pennsylvania border, travel nurses and telehealth providers often hold both licenses. Each state's requirement must be met on its own terms.
A nurse practitioner licensed in both states
An NP graduated from a NYSED-registered program in 2015, so the original New York 2-hour requirement was met in school, but that training predates the addendum window. She also holds a Pennsylvania RN license and CRNP certification. For New York she needs a full, current approved course by November 17, 2026. For Pennsylvania she needs 2 approved Act 31 hours inside her current renewal period, reported electronically by a Pennsylvania-listed provider. If she chooses a single provider that holds both approvals, she still completes the New York course and the Pennsylvania course as separate, state-specific products, and keeps both certificates.
Illustrative only. Based on the rules published by NYSED and the Pennsylvania Department of State.
Under Pennsylvania's board rules, credit for one approved Act 31 course is applied to every license you hold from a board that requires the training, for example an RN license and CRNP certification, so you do not need to repeat it for each Pennsylvania credential.
Mistakes that hold up licenses and renewals
- Taking a general "mandated reporter" course from an unlisted provider. It may be good education, but neither state will accept it toward the licensure requirement.
- Assuming residency covered New York's course. NYSED says residency programs are not required to include it and do not satisfy the requirement.
- Treating the New York one-time rule as permanent. The Chapter 25 update applies to people who already completed the original course.
- Renewing in Pennsylvania on the last day. Providers can take up to seven days to report; the renewal will not process until they do.
- Using a course completed in the previous Pennsylvania cycle. Hours must fall inside your current 24-month period and cannot be carried over.
- Counting a third hour that your board will not accept. Medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry and podiatry accept no more than 2 Act 31 hours toward board totals.
- Losing the certificate. Keep every certificate with your continuing education records; the guide to failed CE audits explains why missing proof is treated like missing training.
A 2026 compliance checklist for both states
- Confirm your profession is covered: NYSED's list of 18, or any Pennsylvania health-related board except veterinary medicine, plus funeral directors.
- Find your New York Certification of Completion and note its date.
- If trained in New York between November 1, 2022 and August 31, 2025, book the 15-minute addendum with an approved provider.
- If trained in New York before November 1, 2022, complete a current updated approved course.
- Finish New York's update before November 17, 2026 and file the certificate with your license records.
- Check your Pennsylvania license expiration date and complete 2 approved Act 31 hours within the current cycle.
- Confirm the Pennsylvania provider has reported your attendance before you submit your renewal.
- Check your board's general renewal rules on the physician, dental or therapist and counselor renewal pages, or start from the US licensing hub.
Mandated Reporting: Child Abuse and Elder Abuse
A self-paced course of about three hours covering the US legal framework for mandated reporting, recognizing child abuse and neglect in clinical practice, making a report, special situations such as substance-exposed newborns, adolescents and children with disabilities, elder abuse, intimate partner violence and human trafficking, and documentation. It ends with a 20-question scenario assessment and a written reflective account. It is supporting education and does not meet New York's or Pennsylvania's approved-provider requirements.
Our courses are education.
Frequently asked questions
Do New York nurses have to retake child abuse training in 2026?
Most will need either the 15-minute addendum or a full updated course. NYSED says all mandated reporters, including those already trained, must complete the updated curriculum on children with intellectual or developmental disabilities by November 17, 2026. Training completed on or after September 1, 2025 already includes it.
Is New York's child abuse course required for license renewal?
For most professions, no. It is a one-time requirement documented at initial licensure or limited permit. Licensed clinical and licensed master social workers are the exception, as NYSED ties their documentation to reregistration too. The 2026 curriculum update is a separate obligation that applies regardless of renewal timing.
Can I use Pennsylvania's free 3-hour DHS course for my renewal?
Yes. The Department of State FAQ says DHS-approved training also satisfies the renewal requirement. Whether the third hour counts toward your other board CE depends on your board; medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry and podiatry accept a maximum of 2 hours.
Do Pennsylvania LPNs need Act 31 training even without a CE requirement?
Yes. The Department of State FAQ uses licensed practical nurses as its example of licensees who must complete the 2 renewal hours even though their board has no other continuing education requirement.
How long does a Pennsylvania provider take to report my completion?
The Department of State says electronic reporting can take up to seven days. If your license is close to expiring, ask the provider when they will submit, and contact the provider first if the hours do not appear.
Are physician assistants in New York required to take the course?
Physician assistants are not on NYSED's list of professions that must complete the 2-hour coursework, but registered physician assistants are named mandated reporters under Social Services Law §413, so the duty to report applies to them in full.
Official sources
- NYSED Office of the Professions: Mandated Training Related to Child Abuse
- NYSED Office of the Professions: Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Approved Providers
- New York State Senate: Education Law §6507
- New York State Senate: Social Services Law §413, Persons and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or maltreatment
- New York State Senate: Social Services Law §415, Obligations of persons required to report
- New York State Senate: Social Services Law §419, Immunity from liability
- New York State Senate: Social Services Law §420, Penalties for failure to report
- NYS Office of Children and Family Services: Child Protective Services
- NYC Administration for Children's Services: How to Make a Report
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Continuing Education Providers (Act 31)
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Act 31 of 2014 Frequently Asked Questions
- Pennsylvania Department of State: Act 31 Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting Exemption Request
- Pennsylvania Code: 49 Pa. Code §16.108, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirement (State Board of Medicine)
- Pennsylvania Code: 49 Pa. Code §21.508, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirement (State Board of Nursing)
- Pennsylvania Code: 49 Pa. Code §33.256, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirement (State Board of Dentistry)
- Pennsylvania Code: 49 Pa. Code §41.77, Child abuse recognition and reporting, mandatory training requirement (State Board of Psychology)
- Pennsylvania General Assembly: 23 Pa.C.S. §6313, Reporting procedure
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: Keep Kids Safe Frequently Asked Questions
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services: How ChildLine Protects Children
Checked October 2026.