THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY SIMMONS, TOOHIL, CHRISTIANA, BOBACK, ADOLPH, BOYD, BROOKS, R. BROWN, CAUSER, COX, CUTLER, DiGIROLAMO, EMRICK, EVANKOVICH, FARRY, FLECK, FREEMAN, GABLER, GIBBONS, GILLEN, GINGRICH, GRELL, GROVE, HARHART, HEFFLEY, HESS, HICKERNELL, KAUFFMAN, F. KELLER, M. K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, LAWRENCE, MAJOR, MARSHALL, METCALFE, MICOZZIE, MOUL, MURT, OBERLANDER, O'NEILL, RAPP, REED, REICHLEY, ROAE, ROCK, SACCONE, SAYLOR, SCAVELLO, TALLMAN, WATSON, DENLINGER AND CALTAGIRONE, SEPTEMBER 22, 2011

AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 14, 2012   

AN ACT

Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes, further providing for concealing death

of child.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Section 4303(a) of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania

Consolidated Statutes is amended and the section is amended by

adding a subsection to read:

§ 4303.  Concealing death of child.

(a)  Offense defined.--A person is guilty of a [misdemeanor

of the first degree] felony of the third degree if he or she as

a parent endeavors privately, either alone or by the procurement

of others, to conceal the death of his or her child, so that it

may not come to light, whether it was born dead or alive or

whether it was murdered or not.

* * *

(c)  Definitions.--As used in this section, the following

words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this

subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Parent."  A natural parent, stepparent, adoptive parent,

guardian or custodian of a child, a person responsible for the

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child's welfare, any individual residing in the same home as the

child or a paramour of the child's parent.

Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.