SB 956 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in offenses against the family, providing for the offense of child torture.

PRINTER'S NO.     1085

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 956
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY COMITTA, KANE, MUTH, PENNYCUICK, FONTANA, COSTA,
        STEFANO, TARTAGLIONE, SANTARSIERO AND VOGEL, JULY 31, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JULY 31, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in offenses against the family,
 3      providing for the offense of child torture.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.     Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 4307.    Child torture.
 9      (a)    Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of child
10   torture, if through a course of conduct, the person
11   intentionally or knowingly commits two or more of the following
12   acts against a child:
13             (1)   Causing bodily injury or serious bodily injury as
14      those terms are defined in section 2301 (relating to
15      definitions).
16             (2)   Causing mental anguish or psychological abuse in an
17      especially depraved manner.
18             (3)   Unreasonable or extended confinement or restraint.
 1            (4)   Unreasonable or extended activity or forced holding
 2      of positions.
 3            (5)   Intentional deprivation or intentional failure to
 4      provide care, protection or support.
 5      (b)   Grading.--An offense under this section constitutes a
 6   felony of the first degree.
 7      (c)   Evidence and defenses.--A court shall consider all of
 8   the following:
 9            (1)   Expert testimony as to the existence or extent of
10      mental anguish or psychological abuse is not a requirement
11      for a conviction under this section.
12            (2)   It is not a defense under this section that a child
13      has a particular susceptibility to mental anguish or
14      psychological abuse.
15            (3)   Evidence that a child suffered pain is not required
16      to sustain a conviction.
17            (4)   A person's inability to financially provide care,
18      protection or support may be considered as a defense to
19      subsection (a)(5).
20      (d)   Definition.--As used in this section, the term "child"
21   means a person under who was 18 years of age when the acts under
22   subsection (a) were committed or began.
23      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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