HB 1479 — An Act amending Titles 23 (Domestic Relations) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further providing for definitions and for relief; and, in protection of victims of sexual violence or intimidation, further providing for definitions and for relief.

PRINTER'S NO.     2270

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1479
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY MARCELL, LABS, MAJOR, MIHALEK, TOMLINSON,
        ARMANINI, STAATS AND GILLEN, SEPTEMBER 5, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further
 3      providing for definitions and for relief.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Section 6102(a) of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
 7   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding definitions to read:
 8   § 6102.    Definitions.
 9      (a)    General rule.--The following words and phrases when used
10   in this chapter shall have the meanings given to them in this
11   section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
12      * * *
13      "Post."    To share, display, provide, upload, transmit,
14   publish, distribute, communicate or circulate content on a
15   social media platform.
16      * * *
17      "Social media platform."    A public or semipublic Internet-
18   based service or application that meets all of the following
 1   criteria:
 2             (1)   A substantial function of the platform, service or
 3      application is to connect users in order to allow users to
 4      interact socially with each other within the service or
 5      application, provided that a platform, service or application
 6      that provides email or direct messaging services or cloud
 7      computing shall not be considered to meet this criterion
 8      solely on the basis of that function.
 9             (2)   The platform, service or application allows users to
10      do all of the following:
11                   (i)    Construct a public or semipublic profile for
12             purposes of signing into and using the platform, service
13             or application.
14                   (ii)    Populate a list of other users with whom an
15             individual shares a social connection within the system.
16                   (iii)    Create or post content viewable by other
17             users, including on message boards, in chat rooms or
18             through a landing page or main feed that presents the
19             user with content generated by other users.
20      "User."      A person who posts content on a social media
21   platform.
22      * * *
23      Section 2.         Section 6108(a)(1) of Title 23 is amended to
24   read:
25   § 6108.    Relief.
26      (a)    General rule.--Subject to subsection (a.1), the court
27   may grant any protection order or approve any consent agreement
28   to bring about a cessation of abuse of the plaintiff or minor
29   children. The order or agreement may include:
30             (1)   Directing the defendant to refrain from abusing the

20250HB1479PN2270                        - 2 -
1     plaintiff or minor children[.], including:
2              (i)    prohibiting the defendant from accessing or
3         utilizing social media platforms; or
4              (ii)    prohibiting the defendant from posting on
5         social media platforms.
6         * * *
7     Section 3.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20250HB1479PN2270                  - 3 -