Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 23, 2025

HB 293: An Act amending Title 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for electronic device licenses; and imposing penalties.

HB 293 requires dealers who buy electronic devices (like phones or tablets) from the public for resale to obtain a $50 annual license from their county sheriff. It mandates dealers to verify sellers' identities with photo ID, keep detailed transaction records for 180 days, and share copies with the district attorney within 24 hours. Dealers must also retain purchased devices unaltered for five business days to allow law enforcement inspections. The bill directly affects pawn shops, thrift stores, and other resellers of used electronics, not new-device retailers or charities. Violations may result in penalties, though specific penalties are not detailed in the provided text.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates electronic device dealers to verify identities, retain records, and share data with law enforcement, directly strengthening crime investigation tools and aiding theft prevention within criminal justice enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 27, 2025

HB 351: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in obstructing governmental operations, providing for the offense of enforcement of State law.

HB 351 amends Pennsylvania law to create a new misdemeanor offense for municipal elected officials or public employees who undermine state law enforcement. Specifically, it prohibits officials from approving laws that decriminalize state-prohibited activities, altering penalties for state offenses, directing peace officers not to enforce state laws, or creating alternative enforcement methods. Any municipal law, regulation, or policy conflicting with state law is declared null and void. The bill excludes the Attorney General, district attorneys, and peace officers from these provisions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill prohibits local laws that decriminalize state offenses or weaken enforcement, expanding state criminalization and opposing local justice reform efforts.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 530: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in arson, criminal mischief and other property destruction, further providing for the offense of criminal mischief; in burglary and other criminal intrusion, providing for removal of trespassers from real property; in particular rights and immunities, providing for an offense and civil action relating to trespass on real property; and imposing penalties.

HB 530 modifies Pennsylvania's criminal codes to adjust penalties for property damage crimes and create a new process for removing trespassers. It reclassifies criminal mischief as a felony if financial damage exceeds $1,000 (for building entry) or $5,000 (for public services), and as a misdemeanor for smaller losses. The bill also establishes a formal procedure allowing property owners to request law enforcement to remove trespassers by submitting a signed affidavit proving the person isn't a tenant, has been asked to leave, and lawful eviction occurred if applicable. This directly affects property owners seeking to remove unauthorized occupants, tenants facing potential unlawful removal, and law enforcement officers handling such requests. The law requires officers to provide individuals removed a chance to prove lawful occupancy and prohibits violations of Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies property damage as felony for higher thresholds, increasing penalties and expanding criminalization of property offenses.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 22, 2025

HB 259: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in minors, further providing for the offense of sexual abuse of children.

HB 259 amends Pennsylvania's definition of "child sexual abuse material" in Title 18 to clarify what constitutes illegal content. It adds specific criteria for material involving children under 18, including depictions of lewd exhibition of genitals (if patently offensive), material appealing to prurient interest under community standards, and material lacking serious literary or educational value. This change directly affects law enforcement and prosecutors who identify and prosecute violations of child sexual abuse laws. The bill updates existing legal language without creating new penalties, effective 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies legal definitions for prosecuting child sexual abuse, strengthening enforcement standards in criminal justice.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SB 46: An Act providing for adoption by the Attorney General of a Statewide model policy related to the prevention of excessive force by law enforcement officers and school security personnel.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates statewide policy requiring de-escalation tactics, chokehold bans, and alternatives to force for law enforcement, directly enhancing police accountability and reform in criminal justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Feb 25, 2025

SB 279: An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for use of force and deadly force policy for law enforcement agencies; imposing duties on the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission; and making an editorial change.

This bill requires all Pennsylvania municipal law enforcement agencies to create and implement written policies governing the use of force and deadly force by officers. The policies must include specific decision-making criteria for when force can be used (such as threats to safety or possession of weapons), prohibit choke holds except when deadly force is authorized, and mandate public posting online and physical availability upon request. The Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission must certify each agency's policy biennially and provide non-compliance lists to the Pennsylvania State Police. This law directly affects municipal law enforcement agencies and their officers by standardizing force guidelines and increasing transparency around use-of-force incidents.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates use-of-force policies with chokehold ban and public posting, enhancing police accountability and transparency in law enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Sep 10, 2025

HB 1858: An Act amending the act of June 24, 1976 (P.L.424, No.101), referred to as the Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act, extending the payment of death benefits to surviving spouse or children or parents of corrections officers; and making editorial changes.

HB 1858 amends Pennsylvania's Emergency and Law Enforcement Personnel Death Benefits Act to extend death benefits to surviving spouses, children, or parents of corrections officers. Currently, the law provides benefits to families of certain emergency and law enforcement personnel, but corrections officers were excluded from coverage. This bill explicitly adds corrections officers to the eligible group, ensuring their families receive financial support if a corrections officer dies while on duty. The bill also includes minor editorial changes to update the law's language.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends death benefits to corrections officers' families, strengthening support for corrections personnel within the criminal justice system.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends death benefits to families of corrections officers, expanding worker benefits and ensuring financial support for their families in case of on-duty death, strengthening employment protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Oct 15, 2025

SB 1047: An Act providing for a full and independent investigation into a use of deadly force by a police officer.

SB 1047 would require an independent investigation into any use of deadly force by a police officer. The investigation must be conducted by a third-party entity separate from the officer's department to ensure impartiality. This applies to all law enforcement officers in the state and mandates this external review for every such incident. The key provision changes the standard procedure by removing the investigation from the involved department's control.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires independent third-party investigations into police deadly force, enhancing accountability and aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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passed · Pennsylvania · Senate May 12, 2025

SR 94: A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish the Task Force on Recruitment and Retention of Law Enforcement.

Senate Resolution 94 directs the Joint State Government Commission to establish the Task Force on Recruitment and Retention of Law Enforcement. This task force will examine challenges in attracting and keeping law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and prosecutors across the Commonwealth. It will comprise various state officials and representatives from relevant associations and labor organizations. The task force is mandated to provide recommendations and identify necessary changes to state statutes, practices, policies, and procedures to improve staffing in these critical public safety roles. A report detailing its findings and recommendations must be submitted by April 30, 2026, to the Governor and legislative leaders.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes task force to address law enforcement recruitment/retention challenges, aiming to strengthen workforce stability in criminal justice system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Nov 19, 2025

HB 2055: An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for basic tactical operations course.

HB 2055 requires Pennsylvania police officers to complete a mandatory basic tactical operations course as part of their certification training. The course covers practical skills like safe building entry, team communication during operations, threat identification under stress, and scenario-based training focused on officer safety and lawful force use. This new requirement applies specifically to police officers seeking certification under Pennsylvania's municipal police training rules. Completion of this course becomes a prerequisite for certification, directly affecting all new and existing officers needing to maintain their certification status.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates tactical training for officers on lawful force use and officer safety, promoting accountability in law enforcement per criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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