HARRISBURG – Legislation to protect older Pennsylvanians has been signed into law. Act 61 of 2022 will extend the protections of the institutional sexual assault statute to cover the elderly and other care-dependent persons who are assaulted by those who have the responsibility of providing care. Current law gives extra protections to students, inmates, dependent children, and others who are most vulnerable because of the institutional setting in which they find themselves. The new offense would be triggered when a caretaker engages in sexual contact with a care-dependent person who receives care in or from a facility. A facility is defined to include, but is not limited to, places such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities, private care residences, and adult daily living centers. A person convicted under this new law would commit a third-degree felony, punishable by up to seven years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $15,000.
GOV. TOM WOLF