HB 2322 — An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in support of the indigent, repealing provisions relating to relatives' liability and procedure.

PRINTER'S NO.   3097

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                            HOUSE BILL
                            No. 2322
                                                   Session of
                                                     2026

     INTRODUCED BY HOWARD, KHAN, PIELLI, WAXMAN, SANCHEZ, GAYDOS,
        MAYES, HILL-EVANS, VENKAT, OTTEN, GUENST, FREEMAN, GUZMAN,
        RIVERA, McNEILL, HANBIDGE, INGLIS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HADDOCK,
        BOYD, CIRESI AND GILLEN, MARCH 26, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, MARCH 27, 2026


                                        AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in support of the indigent, repealing
 3      provisions relating to relatives' liability and procedure.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.        Section 4603 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
 7   Consolidated Statutes is repealed:
 8   [§ 4603.    Relatives' liability; procedure.
 9      (a)     Liability.--
10            (1)   Except as set forth in paragraph (2), all of the
11      following individuals have the responsibility to care for and
12      maintain or financially assist an indigent person, regardless
13      of whether the indigent person is a public charge:
14                  (i)    The spouse of the indigent person.
15                  (ii)    A child of the indigent person.
16                  (iii)    A parent of the indigent person.
17            (2)   Paragraph (1) does not apply in any of the following
 1    cases:
 2                (i)    If an individual does not have sufficient
 3          financial ability to support the indigent person.
 4                (ii)    A child shall not be liable for the support of
 5          a parent who abandoned the child and persisted in the
 6          abandonment for a period of ten years during the child's
 7          minority.
 8    (b)   Amount.--
 9          (1)   Except as set forth in paragraph (2), the amount of
10    liability shall be set by the court in the judicial district
11    in which the indigent person resides.
12          (2)   For medical assistance for the aged other than
13    public nursing home care, as provided in section 401 of the
14    act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Public
15    Welfare Code, the following apply:
16                (i)    Except as set forth in subparagraph (ii), the
17          amount of liability shall, during any 12-month period, be
18          the lesser of:
19                       (A)   six times the excess of the liable
20                individual's average monthly income over the amount
21                required for the reasonable support of the liable
22                individual and other persons dependent upon the
23                liable individual; or
24                       (B)   the cost of the medical assistance for the
25                aged.
26                (ii)    The department may, by reasonable regulations,
27          adjust the liability under subparagraph (i), including
28          complete elimination of the liability, at a cost to the
29          Commonwealth not exceeding those funds certified by the
30          Secretary of the Budget as available for this purpose.

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 1      (c)   Procedure.--A court has jurisdiction in a case under
 2   this section upon petition of:
 3            (1)   an indigent person; or
 4            (2)   any other person or public body or public agency
 5      having any interest in the care, maintenance or assistance of
 6      such indigent person.
 7      (d)   Contempt.--
 8            (1)   If an individual liable for support under this
 9      section fails to comply with an order under this section, the
10      court shall schedule a contempt hearing. At the hearing, if
11      the court determines that the individual liable for support
12      has intentionally failed to comply with the order, the court
13      may hold the individual in contempt of court and may sentence
14      the individual to up to six months' imprisonment.
15            (2)   This subsection applies regardless of whether the
16      indigent person is confined in a public institution.]
17      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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