An Act amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further providing for commencement of proceedings, the official text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 236
PRINTER'S NO.  762
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
302
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BAKER, BROWN, COSTA, J. WARD AND STEFANO,
FEBRUARY 25, 2025
SENATOR BAKER, JUDICIARY, AS AMENDED, MAY 12, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further
providing for commencement of proceedings.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1.  Section 6106(d), (e) and (f) of Title 23 of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
§ 6106.  Commencement of proceedings.
* * *
(d)  Surcharge on order.--When a protection order is granted
under section 6107(a), other than pursuant to an agreement of
the parties, a surcharge of $100 shall be assessed against the
defendant. All moneys received from surcharges shall be
distributed in the following order of priority:
(1)  $25 shall be forwarded to the Commonwealth and shall
be appropriated to the Pennsylvania State Police to establish
and maintain the Statewide registry of protection orders
provided for in section 6105 (relating to responsibilities of
law enforcement agencies).
(1.1)  $25 shall be distributed as follows:
(i)  If an appropriate law enforcement agency serves
the defendant with the order, $25 shall be forwarded to
the appropriate law enforcement agency who serves the
defendant    with the    order.
(ii)  If the sheriff serves the    defendant with the
order, $25 shall be retained by the county and shall be
used by the sheriff to carry out the provisions of this
chapter.
(1.1)  $25 SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE SHERIFF, WHO
SHALL:
(I)  FORWARD THE AMOUNT TO THE ENTITY THAT PERFORMED
SERVICE OF THE PETITION AND ORDER UNDER SUBSECTION (F);
OR
(II)  RETAIN THE AMOUNT IF THE SHERIFF PERFORMED
SERVICE OF THE PETITION AND ORDER UNDER SUBSECTION (F).
(2)  [$50] $25 shall be retained by the county and shall
be used by the court to carry out the provisions of this
chapter [as follows:
(i)  $25 shall be used by the sheriff.
(ii)  $25 shall be used by the court].
(3)  $25 shall be forwarded to the Department of [Public
Welfare] Human Services for use for victims of domestic
violence in accordance with the provisions of section 2333 of
the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The
Administrative Code of 1929.
* * *
[(e)  Court to adopt means of service.--The court shall adopt
a means of prompt and effective service in those instances where
the plaintiff avers that service cannot be safely effected by an
adult individual other than a law enforcement officer or where
the court so orders.]
(f)  Service [by sheriff].--[If the court so orders, the
sheriff or other designated agency or individual shall serve the
petition and order.] The court shall adopt a means of prompt and
effective service and order that the sheriff or appropriate law
enforcement agency serve the petition and order.
* * *
Section 2.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.