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                                                      PRINTER'S NO. 1048

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

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.






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