A state lawmaker serving Lycoming County and a part of Sullivan County has sponsored a bill adding the offense of homicide by vehicle to the state’s direct file statute to ensure that juveniles charged with this serious offense are prosecuted as adults.

Known as the Kathleen McFadden Act, H.B. 2165, sponsored by state Rep. Joe Hamm, R-Hepburn Township, the legislation was written to ensure state law properly reflects the seriousness of vehicular homicide and delivers justice for victims and their families, he said in an editorial board meeting with the Sun-Gazette.

Under current law, juveniles who commit certain felony offenses, including rape and robbery, are charged directly in adult court without the need for a transfer hearing in juvenile court.

These are called direct-file provisions that reflect a policy judgment that some crimes, by virtue of the severity of harm to victims and the public, demand adult-court prosecution from the outset.

His legislation is underscored by the heartbreaking case of McFadden of Montoursville.