In October 1994, Governor Robert Casey signed into law Act 85, a bill providing extensive amendments to Pennsylvania's Protection From Abuse Act, which included the legislative mandate for a statewide protection order registry, operated by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP).

In May 1996, PCADV submitted to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), a concept paper and preliminary budget for a 3-year project to establish a Pennsylvania PFA Database. The information contained in those documents was subsequently included in PCCD's application for National Criminal History Improvement Program funding for Fiscal Year 1996. That funding was granted and the Protection From Abuse Database Project began in February 1997.

Since that time, PCADV has developed and implemented PFAD, an electronic statewide database. PFAD's mission is to establish and maintain a database that includes all PFA proceedings in the Commonwealth. It is a computer archival system designed to complement the operation of the Pennsylvania State Police Protection Order Registry.

This archival database automates the PFA process in the courts; provides critical statewide data for analysis by the courts and law enforcement; creates and disseminates the PSP Protection From Abuse Summary Data Sheet - information necessary for inclusion in the PSP Registry; and contains all standardized PFA forms approved by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court as well as other forms necessary for protection from abuse cases. PFAD is currently working on developing and implementing electronic forms for Indirect Criminal Contempts. Records from PFAD are immediately available 24 hours a day/365 days a year to authorized users (includes courts, legal agencies and the private bar) via a SECURED Internet website.

Due to PFAD's experience in developing this web-based database, other states have requested technical assistance as they begin to launch their own databases.