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 making an editorial change.
SB 575 amends Pennsylvania law to expand the definition of hate-based intimidation under Title 18, specifically adding "ethnic" to the list of protected characteristics (alongside race, color, religion, national origin, and disability) for offenses involving assault or property damage. It creates a new civil remedy under Title 42, allowing victims injured by such acts to sue for damages, injunctions, or other relief in court. The bill directly affects individuals who experience hate-motivated crimes and the legal system handling these cases. The changes take effect 60 days after enactment.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Apr 9, 2025
Last action Apr 9, 2025
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
1
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Apr 9, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
upper
1 primary · 13 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Carolyn Comitta
DDemocratic
Co
Art Haywood
DDemocratic
Co
Jay Costa
DDemocratic
Co
John Kane
DDemocratic
Co
Judy Schwank
DDemocratic
Co
Katie Muth
DDemocratic
Co
Maria Collett
DDemocratic
Co
Michele Brooks
RRepublican
Co
Sharif Street
DDemocratic
Co
Steve Santarsiero
DDemocratic
Co
Tina Tartaglione
DDemocratic
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