SB 136 Pennsylvania Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Titles 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, repealing provisions relating to transfer of inmates in need of medical treatment; and, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, providing for parole for reasons of age or illness and for medical parole due to public or disaster emergency related to health or contagious disease outbreak.

SB 136 replaces Pennsylvania's current process for temporarily transferring terminally ill inmates to hospitals or hospices with two new parole options. It eliminates the existing requirement for courts to approve transfers based on "clear and convincing proof" of terminal illness, risk factors, and facility agreements. Instead, the bill creates parole eligibility for inmates due to age or chronic illness, and establishes medical parole during public health emergencies like disease outbreaks. This change directly affects incarcerated individuals facing serious health conditions or age-related frailty, streamlining their release without requiring court petitions.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 29, 2025 Last action Jan 29, 2025
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jan 29, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
upper
1 primary · 12 co-sponsors

Sponsors