HB 53 — An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, providing for waiver of fee for corrected or duplicate State documents.

PRINTER'S NO.   43

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                             HOUSE BILL
                             No. 53
                                                    Session of
                                                      2025

     INTRODUCED BY BOROWSKI, KHAN, PIELLI, KENYATTA, SANCHEZ, HILL-
        EVANS, GIRAL, BURGOS, DELLOSO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, SCHLOSSBERG,
        WAXMAN, KINKEAD, HOWARD, CIRESI AND FLEMING, JANUARY 14, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 14, 2025


                                         AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, providing
 3      for waiver of fee for corrected or duplicate State documents.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.         Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 6123.    Waiver of fee for corrected or duplicate State
 9                   documents.
10      (a)    Requirements for waiver.--A person who satisfies the
11   following requirements and does not have access to the original
12   document the person is seeking to replace or correct is eligible
13   for a waiver of fees under subsections (b) and (c) if:
14             (1)   All of the following apply:
15                   (i)    The person has been granted relief under section
16             6107(b) (relating to hearings) or 6108 (relating to
17             relief).
18                   (ii)    The relief under subparagraph (i) was granted
 1            no more than 90 days prior to the person applying for a
 2            waiver under this section.
 3            (2)    The person does not qualify under paragraph (1) but
 4      was the subject of abuse within the previous 120 days and the
 5      abuse is verified through one of the following methods:
 6                   (i)    A statement by an employee, agent or volunteer
 7            of a victim service provider, an attorney, a medical
 8            professional or a mental health professional from whom
 9            the victim has sought assistance relating to the abuse,
10            including the use of a standardized form under subsection
11            (e).
12                   (ii)   A statement verifying the abuse. An individual
13            who provides materially false information in the
14            statement under this clause shall be subject to a penalty
15            of $50 plus the fee charged for the document the
16            individual sought to obtain under this section.
17      (b)   Waiver of fee by Department of Transportation.--Upon
18   application of a person who qualifies under subsection (a), the
19   Department of Transportation shall waive the fee for a duplicate
20   or corrected certificate of title, photo identification card,
21   noncommercial driver's license, commercial driver's license,
22   camera card, learner's permit or registration card. A qualifying
23   person with dependents shall also receive a waiver of fee under
24   this section for a duplicate or corrected document for the
25   person's dependents.
26      (c)   Waiver of fee by Department of Health.--Upon application
27   of a person who qualifies under subsection (a), the Department
28   of Health shall waive the fee for a certified copy of birth
29   record. A qualifying person with dependents shall also receive a
30   waiver of fee under this section for a duplicate or corrected

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 1   document for the person's dependents.
 2      (d)   Implementation by agencies.--Within 90 days of the
 3   effective date of this subsection, the Department of
 4   Transportation and the Department of Health shall establish a
 5   statement of policy providing for applications made under
 6   subsection (b) or (c), as applicable. A statement of policy
 7   under this subsection shall be made available on the agency's
 8   publicly accessible Internet website and shall be reviewed by
 9   the agency at least every five years.
10      (e)   Forms.--The Office of Victim Advocate shall develop
11   standardized forms for documenting abuse and providing a method
12   for third party attestation of abuse under this section.
13      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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