PRINTER'S NO. 1048
No. 895 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY LEACH, CREIGHTON, CURRY, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GEIST, GINGRICH, GOODMAN, HALUSKA, KIRKLAND, KORTZ, McGEEHAN, MUNDY, MURT, MYERS, PALLONE, PERRY, PICKETT, SCHRODER, SIPTROTH, McILVAINE SMITH, SOLOBAY, STURLA, VITALI AND WALKO, MARCH 22, 2007
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH, MARCH 22, 2007
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania 2 Consolidated Statutes, providing for sibling visitation. 3 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 4 hereby enacts as follows: 5 Section 1. Section 5301 of Title 23 of the Pennsylvania 6 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read: 7 § 5301. Declaration of policy. 8 The General Assembly declares that it is the public policy of 9 this Commonwealth, when in the best interest of the child, to 10 [assure] do all of the following: 11 (1) Assure a reasonable and continuing contact of the 12 child with both parents after a separation or dissolution of 13 the marriage and the sharing of the rights and 14 responsibilities of child rearing by both parents and 15 continuing contact of the child or children with grandparents 16 when a parent is deceased, divorced or separated.
1 (2) Assure reasonable and continuing contact of the 2 child with a sibling from whom the child has been separated 3 as a result of divorce, separation, death or court order. 4 Section 2. Title 23 is amended by adding a section to read: 5 § 5316. Sibling visitation. 6 (a) Petition.--The court may, upon petition of a sibling or 7 a child, grant reasonable visitation rights to the child if it 8 determines: 9 (1) That continuing contact between the petitioner and 10 the child is in the best interest of the child. 11 (2) In the case of a petitioner who is a child, that 12 visitation is in the best interest of the petitioner. 13 (b) Factors for consideration.--In making a determination of 14 best interests under subsection (a), the court shall include the 15 following factors: 16 (1) The relationship between the child and the 17 petitioner. This paragraph includes the amount of personal 18 contact prior to filing the petition. 19 (2) The relationship among the petitioner and other 20 individuals with whom the child resides. 21 Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days. A16L23VDL/20070H0895B1048 - 2 -