HB 1908 — An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further providing for arrest for violation of order and for contempt for violation of order or agreement.

PRINTER'S NO.   2386

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1908
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY DAVIDSON, FLEMING, KINKEAD, HANBIDGE, McNEILL,
        MAYES, SANCHEZ, GUENST, HILL-EVANS, RIVERA, CONKLIN, HOWARD
        AND DEASY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further
 3      providing for arrest for violation of order and for contempt
 4      for violation of order or agreement.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    Section 6113(c) of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
 9   § 6113.    Arrest for violation of order.
10      * * *
11      (c)    Procedure following arrest.--Subsequent to an arrest,
12   the defendant shall be taken by the police officer or sheriff
13   without unnecessary delay before the court in the judicial
14   district where the contempt is alleged to have occurred. When
15   that court is unavailable, the police officer or sheriff shall
16   convey the defendant to a magisterial district judge designated
17   as appropriate by local rules of court or, in the city of
18   Pittsburgh, to a magistrate of the Pittsburgh Magistrates Court
 1   or, in counties of the first class, to the appropriate hearing
 2   officer. For purposes of procedure relating to arraignments for
 3   arrest for violation of an order issued under this chapter, the
 4   judges of Pittsburgh Magistrates Court shall be deemed to be
 5   magisterial district judges. Upon delivery of the defendant to
 6   the court, magisterial district judge, hearing officer or other
 7   appropriate venue or person, the police officer or sheriff shall
 8   forward notice of the arrest for indirect criminal contempt to
 9   the National Crime Information Center, or its successor
10   organization, and the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance
11   Network, or its successor organization, within 24 hours.
12      * * *
13      Section 2.       Section 6114(b)(3) and (6) of Title 23 are
14   amended and the subsection is amended by adding a paragraph to
15   read:
16   § 6114.    Contempt for violation of order or agreement.
17      * * *
18      (b)    Trial and punishment.--
19             * * *
20             (1.1)   A sentence for a subsequent conviction for
21      contempt under this chapter shall include:
22                 (i)    a fine of not less than $300 and supervised
23             probation or imprisonment for a second conviction not to
24             exceed six months;
25                 (ii)    a fine of not less than $500 for a third
26             conviction and supervised probation or imprisonment not
27             to exceed one year; or
28                 (iii)    a fine of not less than $1,000 for a fourth or
29             subsequent conviction and supervised probation or
30             imprisonment not to exceed two years.

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 1        * * *
 2        (3)   [The] Except if the defendant is charged for a
 3    subsequent violation under paragraph (1.1)(ii) or (iii), the
 4    defendant shall not have a right to a jury trial on a charge
 5    of indirect criminal contempt. However, the defendant shall
 6    be entitled to counsel.
 7        * * *
 8        (6)   The minimum [fine] fines required by [subsection (b)
 9    (1) allocated pursuant to subsection (b)(2)(i) and (iii)]
10    paragraph (1.1) shall be used to supplement and not to
11    supplant any other source of funds received for the purpose
12    of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
13    * * *
14    Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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