HARRISBURG – Critical legislation to save children’s lives is heading to Gov. Shapiro’s desk for his signature into law. Senate Bill 55, known as Kayden’s Law, provides reform to PA’s child custody statute. The bipartisan legislation is named for Kayden Mancuso, a seven-year-old from Bucks County, who was killed in August 2018 by her biological father during a court-ordered, unsupervised visit granted following a year-long custody dispute. The measure strengthens 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. It ensures 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. It also encourages the PA Supreme Court to implement an annual educational and training program for judges and relevant court personnel on child abuse, adverse childhood experiences, domestic violence, and its impact on children.
KAYDEN MANCUSO