SB 787 establishes new rules for solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons and detention facilities. It defines solitary confinement as confinement alone for 20+ hours daily and prohibits its use for vulnerable populations - including youth, the elderly, pregnant individuals, LGBTQ+ people, and those with mental health or developmental disabilities - without specific medical evaluation. The bill limits solitary confinement to 15 consecutive days or 20 days in a 60-day period, requires a hearing within 72 hours of placement, and mandates daily clinical evaluations to identify vulnerable inmates who must be removed immediately. Facilities must also provide basic necessities, daily outside time, and prohibit 24-hour cell lighting without medical justification.
SB 627 requires law enforcement agencies, jails, and other entities responsible for individuals in custody to report deaths monthly to Pennsylvania's Commission on Crime and Delinquency. It also mandates that death certificates include a notation indicating if the death occurred in custody. Failure to report incurs a $1,000 daily penalty, and the Commission must submit annual compliance reports to the legislature. The bill establishes a Deaths in Custody Review Panel to analyze deaths and recommend prevention strategies.
SB 46 requires Pennsylvania's Attorney General to develop a statewide model policy within 120 days to prevent excessive force by law enforcement officers and school security personnel, after consulting with agencies, associations, and community groups. The policy must include specific standards for de-escalation tactics, reasonable alternatives to force, and prohibitions on chokeholds. All law enforcement agencies and school entities must adopt this model policy within 60 days or create a comparable policy meeting its minimum standards. Failure to comply risks loss of state funding, with annual training and biennial policy reviews mandated to ensure ongoing compliance.
This bill (SB 37) amends Pennsylvania law to prohibit individuals convicted of specific violent or dangerous crimes from possessing firearms. It directly affects people convicted of offenses like murder, aggravated assault, robbery, sexual assault, stalking, or certain types of kidnapping. The key mechanism adds over 50 existing criminal offenses - such as assault involving a firearm, robbery, or child sexual abuse - to a list where a conviction triggers an automatic firearm possession ban. The change clarifies that if someone is convicted of any of these listed crimes, they cannot legally own or carry a firearm.
HB 1665 expands Pennsylvania's DNA collection requirements to include individuals convicted of specific misdemeanors (like simple assault, indecent exposure, or certain sex offense-related offenses) in addition to felony sex offenses and criminal homicide. It clarifies that DNA samples must be collected upon conviction, delinquency adjudication, or certain Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) cases for these offenses. The bill establishes a "modified DNA search" mechanism allowing law enforcement to use familial DNA matching (with scientific standards) to identify close relatives of individuals in the DNA database. It also requires the State Police to submit annual reports detailing demographics of collected DNA samples, fiscal impacts, testing timelines, and recommendations for expanding or removing offenses requiring DNA collection.
House Bill 1042 creates a system in Pennsylvania allowing eligible incarcerated individuals to earn credits that reduce their minimum sentence. Inmates can receive sentence reductions for completing vocational training, educational programs like a GED or college degree, and other department-required programming. The bill sets specific credit amounts for different achievements, with a maximum limit of one-fourth of an inmate's minimum sentence. However, individuals convicted of certain serious offenses, such as murder or sexual assault, are excluded from earning these credits.
SB 575 amends Pennsylvania law to expand the definition of hate-based intimidation under Title 18, specifically adding "ethnic" to the list of protected characteristics (alongside race, color, religion, national origin, and disability) for offenses involving assault or property damage. It creates a new civil remedy under Title 42, allowing victims injured by such acts to sue for damages, injunctions, or other relief in court. The bill directly affects individuals who experience hate-motivated crimes and the legal system handling these cases. The changes take effect 60 days after enactment.
HR 99 directs Pennsylvania's Joint State Government Commission to create a bipartisan task force to study the state's criminal justice codes. The task force will examine the Crimes Code, Judicial Code, Sentencing Code, and related statutes to identify redundant offenses, inconsistent sentencing grades, outdated language, and gaps in criminal liability. It will focus on provisions that impose imprisonment or collateral consequences, aiming to recommend updates to modernize the codes. The task force must report findings and recommendations to the legislature within two years. This is a procedural resolution, not a law changing penalties.
SB 896 amends Pennsylvania's Crime Victims Act to expand how victims can prove a crime occurred for compensation claims, allowing medical records, protection orders (like those under 23 Pa.C.S. §61), or sexual violence orders (42 Pa.C.S. §62A) instead of requiring police reports. It requires hospitals, funeral homes, and crime scene cleaners to stop billing victims while claims are processed, with a 45-day window after a claim decision. The bill also increases the cap for crime scene cleanup costs from $500 to $1,500 and maintains a $35,000 total award limit. This directly affects victims filing claims and service providers waiting for payment under the compensation program.
SB 135 changes sentencing for minors (under 18) convicted of certain murders. It mandates minimum 25- or 35-year prison terms (instead of life without parole) for those aged 15+ at the time of first-degree murder, murder of an unborn child, or murder of a law enforcement officer. The bill also establishes the Life with Parole Reinvestment Fund, which uses prison cost savings from parole decisions to fund victim services, offender reentry programs, and supervision. These changes affect minors convicted of specified violent crimes and modify parole procedures for life-sentence inmates. The fund transfers 25% to victim services, 25% to offender supervision, and 50% to reentry programs starting in 2026.
