House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	February 7, 2017 02:56 PM
From:	Representative P. Michael Sturla
To:	All House members
Subject:	Protection from Abuse Order Safeguards

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to further provide protection for victims of domestic violence.
With the passage of the Protection from Abuse Act in 1976, Pennsylvania became the second state in the United States to enact legislation for the specific purpose of protecting victims of domestic abuse. Since that time, the Protection from Abuse Act has provided crucial and even lifesaving protections to thousands of victims of abuse;

Specifically, my legislation amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) and does the following:

Provides a law enforcement officer, the sheriff or another designated individual to accompany a domestic violence victim when they are delivering a protection from abuse order (PFA) to their abuser, or while the order is being served on the abuser, if the victim is concerned for their safety during that occurrence.
Adds a section to Title 23 stating courts should have the authority to extend or reinstate an expired PFA order when the defendant has been incarcerated and is about to be released, if the court concludes they are a continuing threat to the victim.
Allows courts to issue search and seizure orders for weapons as part of their PFA orders if there is cause to believe the defendant has weapons and may use them against the victim.

Please join me in protecting victims of domestic violence by co-sponsoring this important piece of legislation.

Introduced as HB1247

House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

House of Representatives
Session of 2017 - 2018 Regular Session