Criminal Justice (Violent Crime)

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 26, 2025

HB 591: An Act amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274), referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Law, further providing for definitions and for powers and duties of the commission; and establishing the Constable William Davidson Reward Fund.

This bill establishes the Constable William Davidson Reward Fund to provide rewards of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals who kill or cause the death of a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania. It amends the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Law to authorize the commission to administer the fund and offer these rewards for crimes covered under state murder and criminal homicide statutes targeting officers. The fund, which will be non-lapsing and funded by state appropriations, is intended to encourage public cooperation in solving violent crimes against law enforcement personnel.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEstablishes reward fund for info leading to arrests of those killing law enforcement officers, directly strengthening law enforcement response to officer homicides under criminal homicide statutes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Violent Crime

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signed · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 30, 2025

SB 255: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sexual offenses and tier system.

SB 255 classifies "sexual assault by sports official, volunteer or employee of nonprofit association" (18 Pa.C.S. § 3124.3) as a Tier II sexual offense under Pennsylvania sentencing law. This change directly affects individuals convicted of this specific type of sexual assault who work in sports organizations or nonprofit settings. Tier II classification requires longer mandatory registration periods and stricter supervision for offenders. The bill amends Title 42 of Pennsylvania law to add this offense to the existing Tier II list, effective immediately upon the Governor's approval on June 30, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeClassifies specific sexual assault as Tier II, increasing mandatory registration and supervision - strengthens punitive measures rather than reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing Violent Crime

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SB 494: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sexual offenses, further providing for the offense of statutory sexual assault.

SB 494 amends Pennsylvania's statutory sexual assault law by raising the age threshold from 16 to 18 years. It makes it a felony for an adult who is 11 or more years older than an 18-year-old to engage in sexual intercourse with them, unless they are married. The bill establishes two felony levels: a second-degree felony for those 4-7 years older, and a first-degree felony for those 11+ years older. This change directly affects individuals in age-gap relationships with 18-year-olds where the age difference meets the specified thresholds.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by raising age threshold to 18 and imposing felony penalties for significant age gaps, increasing criminalization of non-marital relationships with 18-year-olds.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate May 22, 2025

SB 774: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to operation of vehicles, further providing for homicide by vehicle while driving under influence.

SB 774, known as the Legacy Law, requires courts to order drivers convicted of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence to pay financial support to minor children or dependents whose parent or legal guardian died in the incident. The law mandates that restitution covers the child’s needs until age 18 (or 19 if pursuing a high school diploma), considering factors like the child’s living standard, custody arrangements, and educational needs. Payments must be made directly to the surviving parent or guardian or through the court, with special provisions for incarcerated offenders who have one year after release to begin payments. This applies specifically to cases where the victim was a parent or legal guardian of a minor under 18.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates restitution payments to victims' dependents for vehicular homicide under DUI, strengthening victim support within criminal justice reform framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Feb 13, 2026

HB 1935: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of terroristic threats.

HB 1935 requires individuals convicted of terroristic threats to pay restitution for costs incurred during evacuations, including emergency response, transportation, and employee wages for first responders. It also mandates a sentencing enhancement for threats targeting schools or institutions of higher education, which the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing must consider. The bill defines "school entity" to include public, charter, private, and cyber charter schools, and "institution of higher education" to cover specific universities like Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and others. These changes directly affect offenders who make terroristic threats in educational settings, holding them financially accountable for the costs their actions trigger.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates restitution and sentencing enhancements for terroristic threats targeting schools, increasing penalties rather than promoting reform or reducing recidivism.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates sentencing enhancements for threats targeting schools/institutions of higher education, directly protecting educational environments through legal measures.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing Victims' Rights Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 742: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in DNA data and testing, further providing for policy, for definitions, for DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases, for collection from persons accepted from other jurisdictions, for expungement and for mandatory cost.

HB 742 amends Pennsylvania law to expand DNA collection requirements beyond felony sex offenses. It defines "other specified offenses" for adults (including certain felonies, misdemeanors like assault, and offenses requiring sex offender registration) and for juveniles (such as murder, aggravated assault, or terrorism when tried as an adult). The bill mandates DNA sampling upon conviction, delinquency adjudication, or certain ARD cases for these offenses, applies to individuals transferred from other jurisdictions, and includes provisions for expungement and mandatory costs. This affects individuals convicted of specified crimes who may now have DNA collected for the state database.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands DNA collection requirements for law enforcement, strengthening data gathering in criminal justice system90% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 1, 2025

HB 1363: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense of assault of emergency responder.

This bill creates new felony offenses for assaulting emergency responders (like police, EMTs, or firefighters) by exposing them to fentanyl or its derivatives. Intentionally throwing fentanyl at a responder while they are on duty (and knowing they are a responder) is a felony of the second degree. Unlawfully possessing fentanyl and causing a responder to come into contact with it is a felony of the third degree. The law defines "emergency responder" using existing Pennsylvania law and takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates new felony offenses to protect emergency responders from fentanyl assaults, strengthening law enforcement safety and accountability within criminal justice framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate May 22, 2025

SB 771: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general principles of justification, further providing for use of force in self-protection.

SB 771 amends Pennsylvania's self-defense laws to clarify when deadly force is legally justified. It removes the duty to retreat from one's home or workplace before using force (unless the person was the initial aggressor), creating a "stand your ground" provision in those locations. The bill specifies that deadly force is only justified to prevent death, serious injury, kidnapping, or sexual assault, and requires the person using force to believe it was immediately necessary. It also prohibits using deadly force against a police officer acting in their official duties, and exempts the "stand your ground" rule if the attacker has a weapon. This directly affects Pennsylvanians using force in self-defense, particularly in home or workplace settings.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill clarifies self-defense law, removing duty to retreat in home/workplace, protecting defendant rights (a support indicator for criminal justice reform).85% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 15, 2026

HB 1905: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of ethnic intimidation; and, in particular rights and immunities, further prohibiting civil rights violations.

HB 1905 amends Pennsylvania law to expand the offense of assault to explicitly include "ethnic intimidation" under Title 18, making bias-motivated harassment a specific criminal charge. It also strengthens protections under Title 42 by prohibiting civil rights violations related to discriminatory conduct. The bill directly affects victims of bias-based crimes and law enforcement handling such cases, requiring specific legal procedures for these offenses. Key provisions clarify that assault charges can now be filed when harassment targets a person's ethnicity, religion, or other protected characteristics. The bill remains pending before the Judiciary committee after its referral on September 30, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands assault charge to include bias-motivated harassment and strengthens civil rights protections under criminal law, aligning with reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Nov 19, 2025

HB 2043: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, prohibiting certain assault weapons.

HB 2043 would prohibit the possession, sale, and transfer of specific assault weapons under Pennsylvania law. It directly affects individuals who own or attempt to purchase these firearms, as defined by the bill. The key provision creates a new criminal ban on the targeted weapons, making their possession unlawful without specified exceptions. The bill is currently under review by the Judiciary committee.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits assault weapons under criminal statutes, aligning with criminal justice reform goals to reduce gun violence and enhance public safety through firearm regulation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Firearms Violent Crime

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