Protection From Abuse (PFA) orders are meant to keep victims of domestic violence safe -- but too often, those orders are violated without serious consequences. Recent news reports detail how Pennsylvania lawmakers are seeking to change that.

Legislators in Harrisburg are working to address PFA violations with new measures to protect victims. Proposed bills increase penalties for repeat offenders and require that arrests are entered more quickly – within 24 hours -- into state and national databases. Legislators also aim to increase the level of PFA violations to a third-degree felony.

Several bills were introduced or moved through committees in late 2025 and remain active for the 2025–2026 session, including:

House Bill 1908, focusing on a Repeat Violators Database: This would create a grading scale for repeat PFA violations and require police to enter PFA arrests into state/national databases within 24 hours. This bill has been referred to the judiciary.
HB 1909, Enhanced Penalties: This bill increases the criminal grading for crimes committed while in violation of a PFA (up to a third-degree felony). This bill has also been referred to the judiciary.
HB 1859, Extreme Risk Protection Orders: This would allow family or police to petition for temporary firearm removal from individuals at risk of harm. While this was defeated in the House in September, a motion to reconsider is pending.
HB 274, Unemployment for Victims: This would streamline the process for domestic violence victims to receive unemployment benefits if forced to leave a job for safety reasons. This bill was sent to Governor Shapiro this month for consideration.
HB 104, Electronic Monitoring: This would implement the use of GPS or electronic monitoring for individuals under a PFA order, so as to prevent proximity violations. This bill is currently in committee.

Legislators emphasized that protection orders are often issued as a result of highly dangerous situations and must be treated with the seriousness they deserve, so as to ensure true accountability for those who violate them.

If you need help with a domestic violence situation in Pennsylvania, we have filed and defended many protection from abuse matters over the years. Allow us the opportunity to effectively represent you and take steps to protect your rights. Contact the top Bucks County divorce attorneys at Williams Family Law by phone at 215-340-2207 or email us at info@bucksfamilylawyers.com.