Session: 2019-2020
ACLU-PA Position: Opposes
HB 2342 (PN 3447) would uniformly expand the Tender Years Hearsay Act to allow the introduction of hearsay statements made by people 16 years of age or younger, instead of 12 years or younger. Pennsylvania's Tender Years Hearsay Act is a hearsay exception that allows out-of-court statements made by individuals 12 years of age or younger to be entered into evidence under specific conditions. If such conditions are met, the out-of-court statements are admitted into evidence and the defendant would go to trial without the opportunity to have his or her lawyer cross-examine the witness.
