HB 1843 — An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in support matters generally, further providing for liability for support; in protection from abuse, further providing for relief; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   2279

                       THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                           HOUSE BILL
                           No. 1843
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY M. BROWN AND LEADBETER, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in support matters generally, further
 3      providing for liability for support; in protection from
 4      abuse, further providing for relief; and imposing penalties.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.      Section 4321 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
 9   § 4321.    Liability for support.
10      (a)    Liability.--Subject to the provisions of this chapter:
11             (1)   Married persons are liable for the support of each
12      other according to their respective abilities to provide
13      support as provided by law.
14             (2)   Parents are liable for the support of their children
15      who are unemancipated and 18 years of age or younger.
16             (2.1)   Paragraph (2) applies whether or not parental
17      rights of the parent have been terminated due to a conviction
18      for any of the following where the other parent is the victim
19      and a child has been conceived as a result of the offense:
 1              (i)    18 Pa.C.S. § 3121 (relating to rape);
 2              (ii)    18 Pa.C.S. § 3122.1 (relating to statutory
 3        sexual assault);
 4              (iii)    18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.1 (relating to sexual
 5        assault), where the offense involved sexual intercourse;
 6              (iv)    18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.2 (relating to institutional
 7        sexual assault), where the offense involved sexual
 8        intercourse; or
 9              (v)    18 Pa.C.S. § 4302 (relating to incest), where
10        the offense involved sexual intercourse.
11    Paternity of the child under this paragraph shall be
12    established through voluntary acknowledgment of paternity or
13    blood, genetic or other type of paternity test acceptable to
14    the court. The cost of the testing shall be borne by the
15    parent who was convicted of the offense.
16        (3)   Parents may be liable for the support of their
17    children who are 18 years of age or older.
18        (4)   Unless a parent suffers from an incapacitating
19    intellectual disability or physical disability that prevents
20    the parent from earning an income, following a divorce
21    decree, the court shall order both parents to obtain gainful
22    employment to provide for the needs of the child. The
23    following apply regarding contempt:
24              (i)    A parent who willfully fails to comply with an
25        order issued under this paragraph may, as prescribed by
26        general rule, be adjudged in contempt.
27              (ii)    Contempt under this paragraph shall be
28        punishable by any one or more of the following:
29                     (A)   Imprisonment for a period not to exceed one
30              year.

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 1                         (B)    A fine not to exceed $5,000.
 2                         (C)    Probation for a period not to exceed two
 3                  years.
 4      (b)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 5   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 6   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 7      "Intellectual disability."           As follows:
 8            (1)   Significantly subaverage general intellectual
 9      functioning of an individual, regardless of the age of the
10      individual, that is accompanied by significant limitations in
11      adaptive functioning in at least two of the following skill
12      areas:
13                  (i)    Communication.
14                  (ii)    Self-care.
15                  (iii)    Home living.
16                  (iv)    Social and interpersonal.
17                  (v)    Use of community resources.
18                  (vi)    Self-direction.
19                  (vii)    Functional academic.
20                  (viii)       Work.
21                  (ix)    Health and safety.
22            (2)   The term includes an autism spectrum disorder of an
23      individual, regardless of the age of the individual.
24      "Physical disability."           As follows:
25            (1)   A permanent or irreversible physical impairment,
26      whether congenital or acquired by accident, injury or
27      disease, that substantially limits one or more major life
28      activities of the individual.
29            (2)   For the purposes of paragraph (1), major life
30      activities include:

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 1                (i)     Caring for oneself.
 2                (ii)     Performing manual tasks.
 3                (iii)     Seeing.
 4                (iv)     Hearing.
 5                (v)     Eating.
 6                (vi)     Sleeping.
 7                (vii)     Walking.
 8                (viii)     Standing.
 9                (ix)     Lifting.
10                (x)     Bending.
11                (xi)     Speaking.
12                (xii)     Breathing.
13                (xiii)     Working.
14      Section 2.      Section 6108 of Title 23 is amended by adding a
15   subsection to read:
16   § 6108.    Relief.
17      * * *
18      (a.2)    Alimony.--If the plaintiff is ordered to pay alimony
19   to the defendant in accordance with section 3701 (relating to
20   alimony), the court shall relieve the plaintiff of the duty to
21   pay alimony to the defendant for the duration of the protection
22   order under this section.
23      * * *
24      Section 3.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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