A00769
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1051
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY STEPHENS, MURT, POLINCHOCK, MILLARD, BERNSTINE,
SIMMONS AND TOOHIL, APRIL 5, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, APRIL 5, 2019
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in child protective services, further
providing for penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 6319(b), (c) and (d) of Title 23 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
§ 6319. Penalties.
* * *
(b) Continuing course of action.--If a person's willful
failure under subsection (a) continues while the person knows or
has reasonable cause to believe the child is [actively] being
subjected to child abuse[,] or if the person knows or has
reasonable cause to believe the person who committed the child
abuse is likely to commit additional acts of child abuse, the
person commits a [misdemeanor of the first] felony of the third
degree, except that if the child abuse constitutes a felony of
the first degree or higher, the person commits a felony of the
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[third] second degree.
* * *
(d) Statute of limitations.--The statute of limitations for
an offense under [subsection (a)] this section shall be either
the statute of limitations for the crime committed against the
minor child or five years, whichever is greater.
§ 6319. Penalties.
* * *
(b) Continuing course of action.--If a person's willful
failure under [subsection (a)] this section to report an
individual suspected of child abuse continues while the person
knows or has reasonable cause to [believe the] suspect a child
is [actively] being subjected to child abuse by the same
individual, or while the person knows or has reasonable cause to
suspect that the same individual continues to have direct
contact with children through the individual's employment,
program, activity or service, the person commits a [misdemeanor
of the first degree] felony of the third degree, except that if
the child abuse constitutes a felony of the first degree or
higher, the person commits a felony of the [third] second
degree.
(c) Multiple offenses.--A person who [commits a second or
subsequent offense under subsection (a)], at the time of
sentencing for an offense under this section, has been convicted
of a prior offense under this section commits a felony of the
third degree, except that if the child abuse constitutes a
felony of the first degree or higher, the penalty for the second
or subsequent offenses is a felony of the second degree.
(d) Statute of limitations.--The statute of limitations for
an offense under [subsection (a)] this section shall be either
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the statute of limitations for the crime committed against the
minor child or five years, whichever is greater.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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