HB 2443 — An Act providing for Child Victim Recovery Fee; establishing the Child Victim Recovery Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

PRINTER'S NO.    3253

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 2443
                                              Session of
                                                2026

     INTRODUCED BY MULLINS, RIGBY, DOUGHERTY, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ,
        McNEILL, RIVERA, HANBIDGE, KAZEEM, FREEMAN, NEILSON, KUZMA,
        INGLIS, GALLAGHER, MAYES, MADDEN, M. BROWN, BRIGGS, GUENST,
        DALEY, BERNSTINE, CAUSER, BOROWSKI, M. MACKENZIE, BOYD,
        CONKLIN, CURRY, MUSTELLO, O'MARA, SOLOMON, BENNINGHOFF,
        TAKAC, CERRATO, SCOTT, WAXMAN AND DONAHUE, APRIL 21, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 22, 2026


                                   AN ACT
 1   Providing for Child Victim Recovery Fee; establishing the Child
 2      Victim Recovery Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania
 3      Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6   Section 1.   Short title.
 7      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Child Victim
 8   Recovery Fund.
 9   Section 2.   Definitions.
10      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12   context clearly indicates otherwise:
13      "Children's advocacy center."   As defined in 23 Pa.C.S. §
14   6303 (relating to definitions).
15      "Commission."   The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
16   Delinquency.
 1      "Court."     A court of common pleas.
 2      "Covered offense."      Any of the following offenses under 18
 3   Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes and offenses):
 4            (1)    Section 3123(b) or (c) (relating to involuntary
 5      deviate sexual intercourse).
 6            (2)    Section 3124.2(a.2) (relating to institutional
 7      sexual assault).
 8            (3)    Section 3125(a)(7) or (8) (relating to aggravated
 9      indecent assault).
10            (4)    Section 3126(a)(7) or (8) (relating to indecent
11      assault).
12            (5)    Section 6301(a)(1)(i) or (ii) (relating to
13      corruption of minors).
14            (6)    Any other offense under 18 Pa.C.S. that is
15      substantially similar to an offense specified under paragraph
16      (1), (2), (3), (4) or (5) and in which a minor is identified
17      in a charging document, plea or verdict as the victim of the
18      offense.
19      "Fee."      The Child Victim Recovery Fee imposed under section
20   3(a).
21      "Fund."     The Child Victim Recovery Fund established under
22   section 5(a).
23      "Indigent."     An individual determined by a court to be unable
24   to pay the fee without undue hardship based on the individual's
25   financial resources and obligations.
26      "Minor."      An individual under 18 years of age who is
27   identified in a charging document, plea or verdict as the victim
28   of a covered offense.
29   Section 3.     Child Victim Recovery Fee.
30      (a)   Imposition.--In addition to any other fines, costs or

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 1   restitution ordered, a court shall impose a Child Victim
 2   Recovery Fee in each case in which any of the following applies:
 3            (1)   A defendant is convicted of a covered offense.
 4            (2)   A defendant pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a
 5      covered offense.
 6            (3)   A defendant is placed into a pretrial diversionary
 7      program or alternative disposition program for a covered
 8      offense, including Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition.
 9      (b)   Amount.--The fee shall be imposed in the following
10   amounts, as applicable:
11            (1)   $1,000 for a felony.
12            (2)   $400 for a misdemeanor.
13            (3)   $250 for placement into a pretrial diversionary
14      program or alternative disposition program.
15      (c)   Timing for diversionary dispositions.--A court shall
16   impose the fee at the time a defendant is accepted into a
17   pretrial diversionary program or alternative disposition
18   program. Payment of the fee shall be a condition of successful
19   completion of the pretrial diversionary program or alternative
20   disposition program.
21      (d)   Ability to pay.--If a court determines that a defendant
22   is indigent, the court shall authorize payment of the fee by
23   installment plan. The court may reduce the periodic installment
24   amount to avoid undue hardship.
25      (e)   Collection.--The fee shall be collected in accordance
26   with 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728 (relating to collection of restitution,
27   reparation, fees, costs, fines and penalties). The obligation to
28   pay the fee shall constitute a judgment and shall be entered and
29   docketed as provided under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(b)(1) and (2).
30      (f)   Priority.--The fee may not reduce restitution ordered in

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 1   a case. Collection and payment of restitution shall have
 2   priority as provided under all of the following:
 3            (1)   18 Pa.C.S. § 1106(c)(1)(ii) (relating to restitution
 4      for injuries to person or property).
 5            (2)   42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(g.1).
 6   Section 4.     Deposit and remittance.
 7      (a)   Deposit.--Money collected under section 3 shall be
 8   deposited into the fund.
 9      (b)   Remittance.--The clerk of courts of the county in which
10   the fee is imposed, or another county officer designated by the
11   county, shall remit money collected under section 3 to the State
12   Treasurer for deposit into the fund within five days of the end
13   of each calendar quarter in a manner specified by the State
14   Treasurer.
15   Section 5.     Child Victim Recovery Fund.
16      (a)   Establishment.--The Child Victim Recovery Fund is
17   established in the State Treasury.
18      (b)   Use.--Money in the fund may be used only for the
19   following purposes:
20            (1)   To award grants under section 6.
21            (2)   To pay the costs of administering this act,
22      including the costs of processing and monitoring grants, in
23      an amount not to exceed 5% of money deposited into the fund
24      in a fiscal year.
25      (c)   Appropriation.--Money in the fund is appropriated on a
26   continuing basis to the commission for the purposes specified
27   under subsection (b).
28   Section 6.     Grants to children's advocacy centers.
29      (a)   Grants.--The commission shall award annual grants from
30   the fund to children's advocacy centers for the purposes

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 1   specified under section 7.
 2      (b)   Eligibility.--A children's advocacy center shall be
 3   eligible to receive a grant under this section only if the
 4   children's advocacy center meets all of the following
 5   requirements:
 6            (1)   The children's advocacy center is an accredited,
 7      associate, affiliate or satellite member of the National
 8      Children's Alliance or is located in an unserved county that
 9      has undertaken a formal process for development of a
10      children's advocacy center.
11            (2)   The children's advocacy center provides services
12      through a multidisciplinary team approach consistent with
13      nationally recognized children's advocacy center standards.
14            (3)   The children's advocacy center submits an annual
15      application in a form specified by the commission that
16      includes all of the following:
17                  (i)    A description of the children's advocacy center
18            service area.
19                  (ii)    The number of forensic interviews completed in
20            the prior year.
21                  (iii)    A spending plan identifying the intended use
22            of grant money under section 7.
23                  (iv)    Any other documentation required by the
24            commission to verify eligibility and appropriate use of
25            money.
26      (c)   Noncompetitive formula.--The commission shall distribute
27   grants on a noncompetitive, formula basis. The commission shall
28   publish the formula on its publicly accessible Internet website.
29      (d)   Minimum factors.--In developing and updating the
30   formula, the commission shall consider, at a minimum, all of the

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 1   following:
 2            (1)   The number of forensic interviews performed
 3      annually.
 4            (2)   The geographic service area and population served.
 5            (3)   The children's advocacy center's accreditation level
 6      or National Children's Alliance membership status.
 7      (e)   Proration.--If money in the fund is insufficient to
 8   fully fund grants determined under the formula, the commission
 9   shall prorate grants proportionally among children's advocacy
10   centers eligible for an award.
11      (f)   Additional requirements.--In addition to the application
12   required under subsection (b)(3), the commission may require
13   certifications, reporting and documentation necessary to
14   administer this act and verify eligibility and appropriate use
15   of grant money.
16      (g)   Supplanting prohibited.--Money awarded under this
17   section may not be used to supplant Federal, State or local
18   money otherwise available for the same purpose.
19      (h)   Loss of eligibility and recoupment.--A children's
20   advocacy center that ceases to satisfy the eligibility
21   requirements under subsection (b) shall notify the commission
22   within 30 days. The commission may suspend, reduce or terminate
23   a grant and may seek repayment of money expended in violation of
24   this act.
25   Section 7.     Permitted use of grant money.
26      (a)   Permitted uses.--A children's advocacy center may use
27   grant money awarded under section 6 only for costs directly
28   related to providing services to minor victims through the
29   children's advocacy center, including any of the following:
30            (1)   Forensic interviews and medical evaluations.

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 1             (2)   Trauma-focused mental health services and recovery
 2      supports.
 3             (3)   Victim advocacy, family support and crisis response.
 4             (4)   Facility improvements and equipment.
 5             (5)   Training and professional development for staff and
 6      multidisciplinary partners.
 7             (6)   Program capacity building in underserved areas.
 8             (7)   Accreditation, quality assurance and
 9      multidisciplinary team coordination activities necessary to
10      meet children's advocacy center standards.
11      (b)    Records and audit.--A children's advocacy center shall
12   maintain records as required by the commission. The commission
13   may audit expenditures and require repayment of money expended
14   in violation of this act.
15   Section 8.      Report.
16      (a)    Annual report.--The commission shall submit an annual
17   report to the General Assembly and post the report on its
18   publicly accessible Internet website.
19      (b)    Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall include
20   all of the following information for the prior fiscal year:
21             (1)   Total revenue collected and deposited into the fund.
22             (2)   Total grant money awarded and the recipients.
23             (3)   Geographic distribution of grant money.
24             (4)   Administrative costs incurred to administer this
25      act.
26             (5)   Statewide service measures, including the number of
27      minors served and other performance indicators reported by
28      recipients in a form prescribed by the commission.
29   Section 9.      Regulations and guidelines.
30      The commission may promulgate regulations and adopt

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1   guidelines necessary to implement this act.
2   Section 10.   Effective date.
3      This act shall take effect in 180 days.




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