PRINTER'S NO. 1723
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
1170
Session of
2020
INTRODUCED BY LANGERHOLC, BARTOLOTTA, J. WARD, MASTRIANO,
STEFANO, KILLION, PHILLIPS-HILL, BREWSTER, MUTH, TARTAGLIONE,
COSTA AND HUGHES, MAY 28, 2020
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MAY 28, 2020
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in depositions and
witnesses, further providing for expert testimony in certain
criminal proceedings.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5920(a)(1) and (b)(1) of Title 42 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended and the section
is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 5920. Expert testimony in certain criminal proceedings.
(a) Scope.--This section applies to all of the following:
(1) A criminal proceeding for an offense for which
registration is required under [Subchapter H] Subchapters H
and I of Chapter 97 (relating to registration of sexual
offenders).
* * *
(b) Qualifications and use of experts.--
(1) In a criminal proceeding subject to this section, a
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witness may be qualified by the court as an expert if the
witness has specialized knowledge beyond that possessed by
the average layperson based on the witness's experience with,
or specialized training or education in, criminal justice,
behavioral sciences or victim services issues, related to
sexual violence or domestic violence, that will assist the
trier of fact in understanding the dynamics of sexual
violence or domestic violence, victim responses to sexual
violence or domestic violence and the impact of sexual
violence or domestic violence on victims during and after
being assaulted.
* * *
(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the term
"domestic violence" means an offense under 18 Pa.C.S. § 2701
(relating to simple assault), 2702 (relating to aggravated
assault) or 2718 (relating to strangulation) perpetrated against
a family or household member, as that term is defined in 23
Pa.C.S. § 6102 (relating to definitions).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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