An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in authorized disposition of offenders, further providing for sentence for murder, murder of unborn child and murder of law enforcement officer; in arson, criminal mischief and other property destruction, further providing for the offense of arson and related offenses; in jurisdiction of appellate courts, further providing for direct appeals from courts of common pleas; in post-trial matters, further providing for postconviction DNA testing and for disposition and appeal; in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree; and, in execution procedure and method, repealing provisions relating to issuance of warrant.
HB 99 amends Pennsylvania criminal law to change sentencing for murder (including murder of an unborn child or law enforcement officer), clarify arson and property destruction offenses, and update appellate procedures. It establishes direct appeals from common pleas courts for certain cases, adds requirements for postconviction DNA testing, and removes outdated procedures for execution warrants. The bill directly affects courts, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and individuals convicted of crimes covered under the amended statutes. These changes aim to standardize sentencing and legal processes without altering current penalties or introducing new criminal charges.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Oct 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Oct 16, 2025
Last action Apr 27, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
2
Apr 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported as committed
lower
Oct 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 17 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Chris Rabb
DDemocratic
Co
Arvind Venkat
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Waxman
DDemocratic
Co
Dan Frankel
DDemocratic
Co
Danielle Otten
DDemocratic
Co
Danilo Burgos
DDemocratic
Co
Emily Kinkead
DDemocratic
Co
Heather Boyd
DDemocratic
Co
Izzy Smith-Wade-El
DDemocratic
Co
Joe Hohenstein
DDemocratic
Co
Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz
DDemocratic
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