PRINTER'S NO. 103
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
139
Session of
2017
INTRODUCED BY MOUL, MILLARD, WATSON, TALLMAN, WARD, D. COSTA,
A. HARRIS AND TOEPEL, JANUARY 23, 2017
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 23, 2017
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in support matters generally,
providing for indirect criminal contempt for violation of
support order.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 23 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 4345.1. Indirect criminal contempt for violation of support
order.
(a) Filing of charge.--The domestic relations section or the
district attorney may file and prosecute charges of indirect
criminal contempt alleging that an obligor has willfully
violated a support order.
(b) Determination.--Where a court finds that an obligor has
willfully violated a support order or another order of court
related to a support order, the court may hold the obligor in
indirect criminal contempt and punish the obligor in accordance
with this section.
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(c) Trial and punishment.--A sentence for indirect criminal
contempt shall be punishable by any one or more of the
following:
(1) A fine not to exceed $1,000.
(2) Imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months.
(3) Probation for a period not to exceed one year.
(4) An order for other relief.
(d) Obligor.--The obligor shall not have a right to a jury
trial on a charge of indirect criminal contempt. However, the
obligor shall be entitled to counsel.
(e) Multiple remedies.--Disposition of a charge of indirect
criminal contempt shall not preclude the prosecution of other
criminal charges associated with the incident giving rise to the
contempt, nor shall disposition of other criminal charges
preclude prosecution of indirect criminal contempt associated
with the conduct giving rise to the charges.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20170HB0139PN0103 - 2 -
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