Critical legislation to save children’s lives is heading to Governor Shapiro’s desk after final passage in the House state Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-Bucks) announced Monday night.
Kayden’s Law (SB 55) is legislation the Bucks County Democrat with Sen Lisa Baker (R-20), sponsored in honor of Kayden Mancuso, a seven-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 The final hurdle in the bills various forms — was originally introduced in 2019 – passed the House 119 to 82 yesterday.
Lower Bucks County Republican Reps Joe Hogan and K.C Tomlinson supported the measure.
Screen Shot: State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10)
“Today is a great day. 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,” Santarsiero said last night.
- 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, that 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.
In 2022, although not made public until at the time, Bucks County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Trauger, who presided over the custody battle between Sherlock and Kayden’s biological father, emailed this news organization on two separate occasions to defend himself. The electronic correspondences were sent to other media outlets in the past and included case records files and excerpts of a transcript from a Protection from Abuse Hearing (PFA) in the months leading up to the little girls murder. Trauger declined an in-person interview request and to answer follow up questions about his decision-making process while he was assigned to the case. This news organization, after reviewing the documents and exhibits shared by the judge, declined to publish them as part of a story due to his unwillingness to engage in follow ups.
Submitted: state Senator Lisa Baker (R)
Santarsiero thanked Baker for her partnership in writing the bill and helping it get through the Senate. I also want to thank my House colleagues Tina Davis and Perry Warren, he said, for their work on this 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. 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,” the Senator said.
“In the wake of unspeakable tragedy Kayden’s family and friends’ dedicated their efforts to ensure that courts have the guidance and resources to make the best interest of the child the top priority in child custody determinations. Thank you to everyone who has worked to make this goal the law in Pennsylvania,” Warren told PennWatch.Org.
Davis told the same publication, “Kayden Mancuso’s death was a true tragedy. While the passage of this law cannot undo her untimely death, it can hopefully prevent this from happening to another child and another family.”
Sherlock did not make any public comment that could be tracked down late Monday night. There were , however, comments (see below) posted to the Kayden’s Corner Foundation Facebook page. The social media page is part of a 501 C 3 dedicated to giving children a voice in domestic law and a conduit from where Sherlock/Giglio family sometimes comments from.
Credit: Facebook Screengrab
A little more than a year ago the federal version of Kayden’s Law as part of Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act (VAWA) passed. Authored by Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA 1) it was subsequently signed into law by President Joe Biden.
SB 55 now heads to Governor Shapiro’s desk for signature.
Screen Shot: Kathryn Sherlock and Husband Brian thank Lower Makefield BOS for the Kayden’s Day Proclamation in 2019.