The General Assembly finds and declares as follows: (1) The Commonwealth has a duty to protect all children in this Commonwealth, and all three branches of the State government play important roles in fulfilling that duty. (2) Domestic abuse is a pattern of abuse within the family or household and can include abuse of a partner, spouse, child or pet. (3) Although abusers often use physical violence as one of the tactics to commit domestic abuse, these tactics are not necessarily physical or illegal. (4) These tactics can include verbal, emotional, psychological and economic abuse, isolation, threats, controlling behaviors, monitoring, litigation abuse and threats to seek or demands for custody or joint custody to pressure the partner to return or punish the partner for leaving. (5) The health and safety of all children in this Commonwealth must be the first priority in all decisions concerning child custody. (6) It is the intent of the General Assembly to ensure that in all cases and controversies before the courts involving questions of child custody, the health, safety and welfare of the child are protected and regarded as issues of paramount importance. 2024, JULY 17, P.L.836, NO.72
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