Kayden's Law In Bucks Passes House, Heads to Governor's Desk

BUCKS COUNTY, PA —Kayden’s Law, a bill to better protect children in child custody situations, has been approved by the state House of Representatives for full consideration and now is heading to the governor, officials said.

State Sen. Steve Santarsiero said that Senate Bill 55 received final passage by the House Monday and is going to Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk for his signature to make Kayden’s Law a law.

The law is named for Kayden Mancuso, a 7-year-old from Lower Makefield Township, who was killed in August 2018 by her biological father during a court-ordered, unsupervised visit granted following a year-long custody dispute.

"Today is a great day," Santarsiero said. "Today we are one step closer to protecting children in custody cases. This has been a years-long collaborative effort led by the tireless advocacy of Kayden’s mom Kathy Sherlock, along with family law advocates and experts. Kayden’s Law is finally headed to the Governor for signature and, when signed into law, will save children’s lives by ensuring the safety of the child is paramount in custody cases and that no child will ever again be placed alone in a dangerous environment."

Mancuso, a first grader at Edgewood Elementary School in the Pennsbury School District, was the subject of a custody dispute between her mother and her biological father that ended with her murder.

The court awarded unsupervised visitation with the father despite a history of violence on his part, Santarsiero said, and over a weekend in August 2018 while with her father in an unsupervised situation in Philadelphia, he murdered her and committed suicide.

Santarsiero said that for more than five years, his office has heard from thousands of people across Pennsylvania about the urgent need for safeguards to protect children in child custody cases.

He said that Kayden's Law will:

• Strengthen the 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.
• Ensure that if there is a finding by the court of an ongoing risk of abuse, any custody order includes safety conditions and restrictions necessary, including supervised visitation, to protect the child.
• Encourage the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania 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.

"I am profoundly grateful to everyone who has supported this effort and my colleagues in the legislature for taking this important step to make Kayden’s Law a reality," the senator said.

Santarsiero had sponsored the legislation along with his colleague Lisa Baker (R-20). The senator thanked State Reps. Tina Davis and Perry Warren for their work on the issue.

"Most of all, I want to thank Kayden’s mom Kathy Sherlock for her courage and conviction to educate the public, lawmakers, and court personnel on the importance of this issue," he said. "This bill cannot heal the grievous wound that Kathy and her family have suffered, but by protecting our children moving forward, I hope it will give them some measure of solace."