PRINTER'S NO. 1061
No. 897 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY LEACH, OLIVER, BEBKO-JONES, WALKO, RUBLEY, BISHOP,
BUNT, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, CREIGHTON, GEIST, GEORGE,
GERGELY, GRUCELA, HALUSKA, KOTIK, LEDERER, MANN, McGEEHAN,
MUNDY, ROEBUCK, SAINATO, SCRIMENTI, SOLOBAY, STABACK, TIGUE,
WANSACZ, YOUNGBLOOD, SHANER, PETRARCA AND MELIO,
MARCH 18, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 18, 2003
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for sibling visitation.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Section 5301 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
6 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
7 § 5301. Declaration of policy.
8 The General Assembly declares that it is the public policy of
9 this Commonwealth, when in the best interest of the child, to
10 assure a reasonable and continuing contact of the child with
11 both parents after a separation or dissolution of the marriage
12 and the sharing of the rights and responsibilities of child
13 rearing by both parents and continuing contact of the child or
14 children with grandparents or siblings when a parent is
15 deceased, divorced or separated and when continuing contact as
16 determined by the court is in the best interest of the child due
1 to a breakdown in the family unit.
2 Section 2. Title 23 is amended by adding a section to read:
3 § 5315. Sibling visitation.
4 The court shall award visitation rights to a sibling when
5 continuing contact is in the best interest of the child.
6 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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