PRINTER'S NO. 493
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
505
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY KAUFFMAN, MIHALEK, HERSHEY, EVERETT, MURT, TOEPEL,
ROTHMAN, OTTEN, STEPHENS, IRVIN, MILLARD, PICKETT, ZIMMERMAN
AND PYLE, FEBRUARY 12, 2019
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in depositions and
witnesses, further providing for admissibility of certain
statements.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5985.1(a), (a.1) and (a.2) of Title 42 of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
ยง 5985.1. Admissibility of certain statements.
(a) General rule.--
(1) An out-of-court statement made by a child victim or
witness, who at the time the statement was made was 12 years
of age or younger, describing any of the offenses enumerated
in [18 Pa.C.S. Chs. 25 (relating to criminal homicide), 27
(relating to assault), 29 (relating to kidnapping), 31
(relating to sexual offenses), 35 (relating to burglary and
other criminal intrusion) and 37 (relating to robbery)]
paragraph (2), not otherwise admissible by statute or rule of
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18