An Act providing for Child Victim Recovery Fee; establishing the Child Victim Recovery Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 3253 PRINTER'S NO. 3616
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2443
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY MULLINS, RIGBY, DOUGHERTY, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ,
McNEILL, RIVERA, HANBIDGE, KAZEEM, FREEMAN, NEILSON, KUZMA,
INGLIS, GALLAGHER, MAYES, MADDEN, M. BROWN, BRIGGS, GUENST,
DALEY, BERNSTINE, CAUSER, BOROWSKI, M. MACKENZIE, BOYD,
CONKLIN, CURRY, MUSTELLO, O'MARA, SOLOMON, BENNINGHOFF,
TAKAC, CERRATO, SCOTT, WAXMAN, DONAHUE, FLEMING, SALISBURY,
PUGH, SMITH-WADE-EL, DELLOSO, BASHLINE, KOSIEROWSKI AND
VEROBISH, APRIL 21, 2026
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
JUNE 16, 2026
AN ACT
Providing for Child Victim Recovery Fee; establishing the Child
Victim Recovery Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania
Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Child Victim
Recovery Fund.
Section 2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Children's advocacy center." As defined in 23 Pa.C.S. §
6303 (relating to definitions).
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
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Delinquency.
"Court." A court of common pleas.
"Covered offense." Any of the following offenses under 18
Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes and offenses):
(1) Section 3123(b) or (c) (relating to involuntary
deviate sexual intercourse).
(2) Section 3124.2(a.2) (relating to institutional
sexual assault).
(3) Section 3125(a)(7) or (8) (relating to aggravated
indecent assault).
(4) Section 3126(a)(7) or (8) (relating to indecent
assault).
(5) Section 6301(a)(1)(i) or (ii) (relating to
corruption of minors).
(6) Any other offense under 18 Pa.C.S. that is
substantially similar to an offense specified under paragraph
(1), (2), (3), (4) or (5) and in which a minor is identified
in a charging document, plea or verdict as the victim of the
offense.
"COVERED OFFENSE." AN OFFENSE LISTED UNDER 42 PA.C.S. §
9799.14 (RELATING TO SEXUAL OFFENSES AND TIER SYSTEM).
"Fee." The Child Victim Recovery Fee imposed under section
3(a).
"Fund." The Child Victim Recovery Fund established under
section 5(a).
"Indigent." An individual determined by a court to be unable
to pay the fee without undue hardship based on the individual's
financial resources and obligations.
"Minor." An individual under 18 years of age who is
identified in a charging document, plea or verdict as the victim
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of a covered offense.
Section 3. Child Victim Recovery Fee.
(a) Imposition.--In addition to any other fines, costs or
restitution ordered, a court shall impose a Child Victim
Recovery Fee in each case in which any of the following applies:
(1) A defendant is convicted of a covered offense.
(2) A defendant pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a
covered offense.
(3) (2) A defendant is placed into a pretrial
diversionary program or alternative disposition program for a
covered offense, including Accelerated Rehabilitative
Disposition.
(b) Amount.--The fee shall be imposed in the following
amounts, as applicable:
(1) $1,000 for a felony.
(2) $400 for a misdemeanor.
(3) $250 for placement into a pretrial diversionary
program or alternative disposition program.
(c) Timing for diversionary dispositions.--A court shall
impose the fee at the time a defendant is accepted into a
pretrial diversionary program or alternative disposition
program. Payment of the fee shall be a condition of successful
completion of the pretrial diversionary program or alternative
disposition program.
(d) Ability to pay.--If a court determines that a defendant
is indigent, the court shall authorize payment of the fee by
installment plan. The court may reduce the periodic installment
amount to avoid undue hardship. PRIOR TO IMPOSING A FEE OR
INSTALLMENT PAYMENT, THE COURT SHALL DETERMINE WHETHER THE
DEFENDANT IS ABLE TO PAY IN ACCORDANCE WITH 42 PA.C.S. § 9730
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(RELATING TO PAYMENT OF COURT COSTS, RESTITUTION AND FINES). THE
COURT MAY NOT ESTABLISH A MANDATORY MINIMUM INSTALLMENT PAYMENT
THAT IS NOT BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANT'S ABILITY TO PAY.
(e) Collection.--The fee shall be collected in accordance
with 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728 (relating to collection of restitution,
reparation, fees, costs, fines and penalties). The obligation to
pay the fee shall constitute a judgment and shall be entered and
docketed as provided under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(b)(1) and (2).
(f) Priority.--The fee may not reduce restitution ordered in
a case. Collection and payment of restitution shall have
priority as provided under all of the following:
(1) 18 Pa.C.S. § 1106(c)(1)(ii) (relating to restitution
for injuries to person or property).
(2) 42 Pa.C.S. § 9728(g.1).
Section 4. Deposit and remittance.
(a) Deposit.--Money collected under section 3 shall be
deposited into the fund.
(b) Remittance.--The clerk of courts of the county in which
the fee is imposed, or another county officer designated by the
county, shall remit money collected under section 3 to the State
Treasurer for deposit into the fund within five days of the end
of each calendar quarter in a manner specified by the State
Treasurer.
Section 5. Child Victim Recovery Fund.
(a) Establishment.--The Child Victim Recovery Fund is
established in the State Treasury.
(b) Use.--Money in the fund may be used only for the
following purposes:
(1) To award grants under section 6.
(2) To pay the costs of administering this act,
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including the costs of processing and monitoring grants, in
an amount not to exceed 5% of money deposited into the fund
in a fiscal year.
(c) Appropriation.--Money in the fund is appropriated on a
continuing basis to the commission for the purposes specified
under subsection (b).
Section 6. Grants to children's advocacy centers.
(a) Grants.--The commission shall award annual grants from
the fund to children's advocacy centers for the purposes
specified under section 7.
(b) Eligibility.--A children's advocacy center shall be
eligible to receive a grant under this section only if the
children's advocacy center meets all of the following
requirements:
(1) The children's advocacy center is an accredited,
associate, affiliate or satellite member of the National
Children's Alliance or is located in an unserved county that
has undertaken a formal process for development of a
children's advocacy center.
(2) The children's advocacy center provides services
through a multidisciplinary team approach consistent with
nationally recognized children's advocacy center standards.
(3) The children's advocacy center submits an annual
application in a form specified by the commission that
includes all of the following:
(i) A description of the children's advocacy center
service area.
(ii) The number of forensic interviews completed in
the prior year.
(iii) A spending plan identifying the intended use
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of grant money under section 7.
(iv) Any other documentation required by the
commission to verify eligibility and appropriate use of
money.
(c) Noncompetitive formula.--The commission shall distribute
grants on a noncompetitive, formula basis. The commission shall
publish the formula on its publicly accessible Internet website.
(d) Minimum factors.--In developing and updating the
formula, the commission shall consider, at a minimum, all of the
following:
(1) The number of forensic interviews performed
annually.
(2) The geographic service area and population served.
(3) The children's advocacy center's accreditation level
or National Children's Alliance membership status.
(e) Proration.--If money in the fund is insufficient to
fully fund grants determined under the formula, the commission
shall prorate grants proportionally among children's advocacy
centers eligible for an award.
(f) Additional requirements.--In addition to the application
required under subsection (b)(3), the commission may require
certifications, reporting and documentation necessary to
administer this act and verify eligibility and appropriate use
of grant money.
(g) Supplanting prohibited.--Money awarded under this
section may not be used to supplant Federal, State or local
money otherwise available for the same purpose.
(h) Loss of eligibility and recoupment.--A children's
advocacy center that ceases to satisfy the eligibility
requirements under subsection (b) shall notify the commission
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within 30 days. The commission may suspend, reduce or terminate
a grant and may seek repayment of money expended in violation of
this act.
Section 7. Permitted use of grant money.
(a) Permitted uses.--A children's advocacy center may use
grant money awarded under section 6 only for costs directly
related to providing services to minor victims through the
children's advocacy center, including any of the following:
(1) Forensic interviews and medical evaluations.
(2) Trauma-focused mental health services and recovery
supports.
(3) Victim advocacy, family support and crisis response.
(4) Facility improvements and equipment.
(5) Training and professional development for staff and
multidisciplinary partners.
(6) Program capacity building in underserved areas.
(7) Accreditation, quality assurance and
multidisciplinary team coordination activities necessary to
meet children's advocacy center standards.
(b) Records and audit.--A children's advocacy center shall
maintain records as required by the commission. The commission
may audit expenditures and require repayment of money expended
in violation of this act.
Section 8. Report.
(a) Annual report.--The commission shall submit an annual
report to the General Assembly and post the report on its
publicly accessible Internet website.
(b) Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall include
all of the following information for the prior fiscal year:
(1) Total revenue collected and deposited into the fund.
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(2) Total grant money awarded and the recipients.
(3) Geographic distribution of grant money.
(4) Administrative costs incurred to administer this
act.
(5) Statewide service measures, including the number of
minors served and other performance indicators reported by
recipients in a form prescribed by the commission.
Section 9. Regulations and guidelines.
The commission may promulgate regulations and adopt
guidelines necessary to implement this act.
Section 10. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 180 days.
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