HB 1479 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Titles 23 (Domestic Relations) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in protection from abuse, further providing for definitions and for relief; and, in protection of victims of sexual violence or intimidation, further providing for definitions and for relief.

HB 1479 amends Pennsylvania laws related to protection from abuse and victim support for sexual violence or intimidation. It updates definitions and expands available legal relief options for two specific groups: individuals seeking protection from domestic abuse and victims of sexual violence or intimidation. The bill focuses on clarifying statutory language and strengthening procedural pathways for obtaining court-ordered protections. These changes directly affect Pennsylvania residents who are victims of these specific harms and seek legal remedies through the state's judicial system. The bill is currently pending in committee after being referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Sep 2025
Committee Review
Sep 2025
House Passage
Nov 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Sep 9, 2025 Last action Nov 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN2270 Printer's No. PN2593 · 5 edits
MODERATE
This bill expands Pennsylvania's protection from abuse laws to include Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) alongside Title 23, adding new definitions and relief provisions specifically addressing social media platforms. The changes allow courts to issue protection orders that prohibit defendants from accessing, utilizing, or posting on social media platforms, and define key terms like 'social media platform,' 'post,' and 'user' to clarify enforcement. This matters because it strengthens protections for victims by addressing digital harassment and contact through online channels, which was not explicitly covered under the previous version of the bill.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from Title 23 (Domestic Relations) only to include both Title 23 and Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure), adding new definitions and relief provisions for protection of victims of sexual violence or intimidation.
SCOPE

Bill now amends both Title 23 and Title 42 of Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, expanding applicability to protection of victims of sexual violence or intimidation.

DEFINITION

New definitions added for 'social media platform,' 'post,' and 'user' to clarify what constitutes digital contact under protection orders.

REQUIREMENT

Courts can now issue protection orders prohibiting defendants from accessing, utilizing, or posting on social media platforms.

Protection order provisions expanded to include specific prohibitions on digital contact through social media channels.

ENFORCEMENT

New Section 62A07 in Title 42 provides additional relief mechanisms for prohibiting contact through social media platforms.

Floor votes · House Nov 12, 2025

How they voted

260
Passed
Total votes 26
Nov 12, 2025
D Democratic14
14 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican12
12 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
5
Key actions
2
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Nov 17, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Nov 12, 2025
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (26-0)
house
Sep 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 7 co-sponsors

Sponsors