Criminal Justice (Juvenile Justice)

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Apr 13, 2026

HB 1247: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in rules of evidence, providing for prohibition of deception during custodial interrogation of individual with intellectual disability or autism.

HB 1247 prohibits law enforcement officers from using deception - such as false promises of leniency or misleading information - during custodial interrogations of individuals with intellectual disabilities or autism. Any confession obtained through such deception would be presumed inadmissible in criminal or juvenile court cases for offenses that would be misdemeanors or felonies if committed by an adult. The state (Commonwealth) must prove the confession was voluntary by a preponderance of evidence to overcome this presumption, shifting the burden of proof from the defense to the prosecution. This applies to all custodial interrogations conducted at police stations or other detention facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProhibits deceptive interrogation tactics for vulnerable individuals, protecting due process and civil rights in criminal proceedings per bill's explicit evidence rules reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice Policing

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 21, 2025

HB 1493: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, providing for data collection on race and ethnicity in criminal cases.

HB 1493 requires Pennsylvania's Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to collect and publicly publish data on the race and ethnicity of defendants in criminal cases. This data must be posted in an accessible online format and reported annually to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The bill directly affects all individuals involved in criminal cases across Pennsylvania's court system by mandating standardized demographic data collection. It establishes a concrete mechanism for tracking racial and ethnic disparities in criminal proceedings without altering sentencing or legal procedures. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates racial/ethnic data collection in criminal courts to promote transparency and identify systemic biases, a core criminal justice reform measure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice Sentencing

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate May 27, 2025

SB 788: An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for solitary confinement.

SB 788 prohibits solitary confinement in Pennsylvania prisons and jails by banning the practice of confining inmates alone for 20+ hours daily with severely restricted activity. It directly affects all inmates in state and county correctional facilities, including juvenile facilities and those held under federal contracts. The bill requires prisons to use alternatives like limiting visits, restricting commissary privileges, or assigning additional unpaid work - each capped at 14 days - instead of solitary confinement. These alternatives must be used for disciplinary purposes, with no more than 14 days of any single penalty. The law would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBans solitary confinement (20+ hours/day) and mandates humane alternatives, directly advancing criminal justice reform by protecting inmate rights and reducing psychological harm.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Juvenile Justice Probation & Parole

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 627: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in actions, proceedings and other matters generally, providing for reporting of deaths; and imposing penalties.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates reporting of custody deaths and creates review panel to enhance law enforcement accountability and transparency in criminal justice oversight.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 25, 2025

HB 1665: 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 State DNA Data Base, for State Police recommendation of additional offenses and annual report and for DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases, providing for request for modified DNA search and further providing for DNA data base exchange, for expungement and for mandatory cost; and making an editorial change.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands DNA collection to include specific misdemeanors, strengthening law enforcement data systems for crime-solving and evidence collection within criminal justice infrastructure.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Policing Violent Crime

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 23, 2025

SB 874: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in election districts and polling places, providing for residence of incarcerated individuals.

SB 874 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to change how incarcerated individuals are counted for redistricting. It requires that people in state or federal prisons (or juvenile facilities) be counted at their last known address in Pennsylvania - not at the facility location - when creating state legislative, congressional, and local district maps based on the federal census. The bill mandates that correctional and juvenile facilities collect and share data (including last known address, demographic details, and facility location) with redistricting bodies by June 1 each year ending in "1." This directly affects how Pennsylvania redraws voting districts, ensuring prison populations are not artificially inflated in the communities where facilities are located.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAmends redistricting to count incarcerated at last address, reducing prison gerrymandering and protecting voting rights - key criminal justice reform.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Juvenile Justice

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Sep 9, 2025

HB 1481: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for civilian community relations specialists; establishing the Civilian Community Relations Specialists Fund; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

HB 1481 would create a new position for civilian community relations specialists within Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies. It establishes a dedicated fund to cover the costs of hiring these specialists, who would work directly with communities to build trust and address concerns. The bill requires the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to manage the fund and oversee the program's implementation. This legislation directly affects police departments and the Commission, aiming to improve community-police relationships through non-law enforcement staff.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates civilian community relations specialists to build police-community trust and accountability, directly advancing criminal justice reform through dedicated funding and oversight.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Policing

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 22, 2026

HB 1616: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in offenses against the family, further providing for the offense of dealing in infant children; and, in depositions and witnesses, providing for sentencing considerations for child victim offenders.

HB 1616 allows Pennsylvania judges to consider a child offender's prior victimization in sentencing. If a child was sexually abused (as defined by specific offenses like rape or sexual assault under state law) and committed a crime directly because of that abuse or severe emotional distress, courts may reduce or eliminate prison time, skip fines, or transfer the case to juvenile court. The law does not apply to cases involving human trafficking or if the victim did not engage in prohibited conduct. This changes sentencing for children convicted of crimes where their own abuse was a direct cause.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allows judges to reduce sentences for child offenders victimized by abuse, aligning with criminal justice reform by prioritizing rehabilitation over punishment for trauma-driven offenses.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Juvenile Justice Victims' Rights

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 17, 2026

HB 1381: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in juvenile matters, further providing for definitions.

HB 1381 amends Pennsylvania's juvenile justice definitions by raising the minimum age for a "delinquent child" from 10 to 13 years old. This change directly affects children aged 10-12 who previously could be classified as delinquent under the law; they will no longer be considered "delinquent children" under this definition. The bill modifies Section 6302 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to specify that a "delinquent child" must be 13 or older, with the court finding they committed a delinquent act requiring treatment or rehabilitation. The amendment applies to juvenile proceedings beginning on or after its effective date, 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRaises juvenile delinquency age from 10 to 13, preventing children under 13 from criminal justice processing per reform principles protecting youth rights.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Juvenile Justice

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 1511: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for miscellaneous provisions and for violent incident clearance and technological investigative methods; establishing the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

HB 1511 creates the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program within Pennsylvania's Commission on Crime and Delinquency. The bill requires the Commission to establish this program, which provides funding and guidance for law enforcement agencies to use technology like digital forensics and data analysis to solve violent crimes more effectively. It directly affects Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies handling violent incidents by mandating new reporting requirements and resource allocation for technology-driven investigations. The program aims to improve clearance rates for violent crimes through standardized, tech-enhanced investigative methods.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds tech tools (digital forensics, data analysis) for violent crime clearance, strengthening investigative capabilities under Pennsylvania law enforcement.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill funds law enforcement's use of digital forensics/data analysis for violent crime investigations, directly advancing technological investigative methods per program requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

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