HARRISBURG - - The Senate unanimously approved Senate Bill 55, a joint resolution that would change the state’s Constitution to allow traumatized children to testify in court by closed-circuit television or videotape.

Pending House approval, the statewide ballot question on the issue could appear as early as this year’s primary election.

Under the measure, a judge could allow a child to testify by television or videotape if the judge believes that testifying in open court could traumatize the child.

A 1986 law, and a 1995 Constitutional amendment allowing the television testimony were both overturned by the Supreme Court on Constitutional grounds.