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        PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1199                      PRINTER'S NO. 3785

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA


HOUSE BILL

No. 1027 Session of 2007


        INTRODUCED BY MOUL, MARSICO, STERN, RUBLEY, ARGALL, BASTIAN,
           BEAR, BOYD, CAPPELLI, COX, CREIGHTON, CURRY, CUTLER,
           DePASQUALE, EVERETT, GEIST, GRELL, HENNESSEY, JOSEPHS,
           KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, KING, MACKERETH, MANTZ, R. MILLER,
           MOYER, MURT, NICKOL, PETRARCA, PETRONE, PICKETT, PYLE, QUINN,
           READSHAW, ROAE, SONNEY, VULAKOVICH, YOUNGBLOOD, LONGIETTI,
           MARSHALL, SIPTROTH, SAYLOR AND SCAVELLO, APRIL 5, 2007

        AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
           MAY 14, 2008

                                     AN ACT

     1  Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
     2     Consolidated Statutes, further providing for willful failure
     3     to pay support order.

     4     The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     5  hereby enacts as follows:
     6     Section 1.  Section 4354 of the Title 23 of the Pennsylvania
     7  Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
     8  § 4354.  Willful failure to pay support order.
     9     (a)  Offense defined.--An individual who willfully fails to
    10  comply with a support order of a court of this Commonwealth when
    11  the individual has the financial ability to comply with the
    12  support order commits [a summary offense] an offense.
    13     (b)  Application.--This section applies to all support cases,
    14  whether civil or criminal and whether the defendant is married,
    15  unmarried, separated or divorced.


     1     (c)  Jurisdiction.--Exclusive original jurisdiction of a
     2  proceeding under this section is vested in the courts of common
     3  pleas of this Commonwealth.
     4     (d)  Grading.--
     5         (1)  Except as otherwise provided for in paragraph (2),
     6     an offense under this section shall constitute a summary
     7     offense.
     8         (2)  An offense shall be graded a misdemeanor of the
     9     third degree if either of the following apply:
    10             (i)  the offense is a second or subsequent offense
    11         under this section; or
    12             (ii)  the obligor owes support in an amount equal to
    13         or greater than 12 months of the monthly support
    14         obligation.
    15     (E)  COSTS AND EXPENSES TO BE BORNE BY INDIVIDUAL.--AN         <--
    16  INDIVIDUAL CONVICTED OF AN OFFENSE UNDER THIS SECTION WHO IS
    17  APPREHENDED OUTSIDE THIS COMMONWEALTH SHALL, IN ADDITION TO ANY
    18  OTHER SENTENCE IMPOSED, BE SENTENCED TO PAY THE COSTS AND
    19  EXPENSES OF RENDITION.
    20     Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.







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