Sen. Baker: Kayden's Law passes House; heads to Gov. Shapiro for signature

Mar. 26—DALLAS — Sen. Lisa Baker on Tuesday said critical legislation to save children's lives is heading to Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk after final passage in the House.

Baker said Senate Bill 55, also known as Kayden's Law, is legislation that provides urgently needed reform to Pennsylvania's child custody statute.

The bi-partisan legislation is sponsored by Baker, R-Lehman Twp., and Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-10, and is named for Kayden Mancuso, a seven-year-old from Lower Makefield Twp., who was killed in August 2018 by her biological father during a court-ordered, unsupervised visit granted following a year-long custody dispute.

"Whenever we have a heartbreaking loss such as Kayden, it is our obligation to make sure the circumstances cannot be repeated, to the greatest extent possible under law and human judgment," Baker said. "Punishment of the perpetrator is not enough. This bill required a great deal of debate and advocacy to reach the point of passage. Adding seven crimes judges must take into account is a responsible reaction to the suffering Kayden endured."

Santarsiero added, "Today is a great day. Today we are one step closer to protecting children in custody cases. This has been a yearslong collaborative effort led by the tireless advocacy of Kayden's mom Kathy Sherlock, along with family law advocates and experts. Kayden's Law is finally headed to the governor for signature and, when signed into law, will save children's lives by ensuring the safety of the child is paramount in custody cases and that no child will ever again be placed alone in a dangerous environment."

Kayden's Law will:

—Strengthen the current factors that judges must consider in making custody and visitation decisions, to make it clear that the most important issue is the protection of the child.

—Ensure that if there is a finding by the court of an ongoing risk of abuse, that any custody order includes safety conditions and restrictions necessary, including supervised visitation, to protect the child.

—Encourage the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to implement an annual educational and training program for judges and relevant court personnel on child abuse, adverse childhood experiences, and domestic violence and its impact on children.

Santarsiero continued, "I want to thank my colleague, and friend, Sen. Lisa Baker, for her partnership in writing the bill and helping it get through the Senate. I also want to thank my House colleagues Tina Davis and Perry Warren for their work on this issue. Most of all, I want to thank Kayden's mom Kathy Sherlock for her courage and conviction to educate the public, lawmakers and court personnel on the importance of this issue. This bill cannot heal the grievous wound that Kathy and her family have suffered, but by protecting our children moving forward, I hope it will give them some measure of solace."

"More than five years ago, I vowed to do whatever it took to protect children, and today, our mission of 'not one more' is becoming a reality in Pennsylvania," said Kathy Sherlock. "It should never be the case that children are ordered to remain in abusive or unsafe situations. I am grateful for Senators Santarsiero and Baker and Representatives Davis and Warren for their dedication to making sure we got legislation passed that puts commonsense safeguards in place to save children's lives. I also want to express my profound appreciation for the advocacy and guidance of Danielle Pollack and the National Family Violence Law Center."

Senate Bill 55 now goes to Gov. Shapiro for signature.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.