PRINTER'S NO. 305
No. 312 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY HART, HECKLER, HELFRICK, MELLOW, DELP, GERLACH,
EARLL AND MUSTO, JANUARY 29, 1997
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, JANUARY 29, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for grounds for
3 involuntary termination.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 2511(a)(5) of Title 23 of the
7 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 2511. Grounds for involuntary termination.
9 (a) General rule.--The rights of a parent in regard to a
10 child may be terminated after a petition filed on any of the
11 following grounds:
12 * * *
13 (5) (i) The child has been removed from the care of the
14 parent by the court or under a voluntary agreement with
15 an agency for a period of at least six months, the
16 conditions which led to the removal or placement of the
17 child continue to exist, the parent cannot or will not
18 remedy those conditions within a reasonable period of
1 time, there is clear and convincing evidence that the
2 parent has not maintained significant and meaningful
3 contact with the child during the previous six
4 consecutive months and has made no reasonable efforts to
5 resume care of the child despite being given the
6 opportunity to do so, the services or assistance
7 reasonably available to the parent are not likely to
8 remedy the conditions which led to the removal or
9 placement of the child within a reasonable period of time
10 and termination of the parental rights would best serve
11 the needs and welfare of the child.
12 (ii) The term "significant and meaningful contact"
13 as used in this paragraph means the affirmative
14 assumption by the parent of the duties encompassed by the
15 role of being a parent. This affirmative duty, in
16 addition to financial obligations, requires continued
17 interest in the child, a genuine effort to maintain
18 communication with the child and requires that the
19 parents establish and maintain a place of importance in
20 the child's life.
21 * * *
22 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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