PRINTER'S NO. 1307
No. 1046 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY GREENLEAF, SEPTEMBER 5, 2001
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for parenting education.
3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4 hereby enacts as follows:
5 Section 1. Part IV of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
6 Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
7 CHAPTER 40
8 PARENTING EDUCATION
9 Sec.
10 4001. Parenting education program.
11 4002. Program administration.
12 4003. Supreme Court.
13 § 4001 Parenting education program.
14 (a) Requirement.--Except as provided under subsection (c),
15 when the parties to an action brought under this part or under
16 Chapter 53 (relating to custody) have at least one child under
17 18 years of age, the court shall require that the parties
1 satisfactorily complete a parenting education program.
2 (b) Contents.--A parenting education program is a course
3 approved by the court to educate persons about the impact that
4 the restructuring of families has on children. The course shall
5 assist parents in identifying the signs of parental alienation
6 and in developing methods to address the problems associated
7 with parental alienation. The course shall consist of at least
8 four hours of instruction and shall include, but not be limited
9 to, the following subjects:
10 (1) Information on the developmental stages of children.
11 (2) Adjustment of children to parental separation.
12 (3) Dispute resolution and conflict management.
13 (4) Guidelines for visitation.
14 (5) Stress reduction in children.
15 (6) Cooperative parenting.
16 (c) Exceptions.--The court shall order the parties to
17 participate in a parenting education program unless one of the
18 following applies:
19 (1) The parties agree, subject to the approval of the
20 court, not to participate in the program.
21 (2) The court, on motion, determines that participation
22 is not necessary.
23 (3) The parties select and participate in a comparable
24 parenting education program.
25 (d) Satisfactory completion.--A party shall be deemed to
26 have satisfactorily completed the parenting education program
27 upon certification by the service provider.
28 § 4002. Program administration.
29 (a) Fees and costs.--The court may contract with one or more
30 service providers to make available parenting education
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1 programs. Any person who is ordered to participate in a
2 parenting education program shall pay a participation fee
3 directly to the service provider. However, no person may be
4 excluded from the program because of inability to pay the fee.
5 Any contract entered into between the court and the service
6 provider shall include a fee schedule and provisions requiring
7 service providers to allow persons who are indigent or unable to
8 pay to participate in the program.
9 (b) Separate programs.--Parties to a divorce or custody
10 action shall not have to attend the same parenting education
11 course.
12 (c) Domestic violence.--A party to a divorce or custody
13 action who has a demonstrable history of domestic violence shall
14 be ordered to participate in a separate and more intensive
15 course which shall include the subjects required in section
16 4001(b) (relating to parenting education program) and education
17 regarding domestic violence, its prevention and its effect on
18 children.
19 (d) Safety and security.--The service provider shall provide
20 safety and security for participants in the program, including
21 victims of domestic violence.
22 § 4003. Supreme Court.
23 (a) Model guidelines.--The Supreme Court shall develop model
24 guidelines for implementation of this chapter and shall consult
25 with experts on parenting education and domestic violence in the
26 development thereof. The effective date of this chapter shall
27 not be delayed by virtue of this subsection.
28 (b) Monitoring programs.--The Supreme Court shall monitor
29 parenting education programs established under this chapter. The
30 Supreme Court shall establish procedures for the evaluation of
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1 the effectiveness of the programs.
2 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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