Criminal Justice (Violent Crime)

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jul 9, 2026

SB 1415: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of neglect of care-dependent person and for the offense of abuse of care-dependent person; and, in sexual offenses, further providing for the offense of institutional sexual assault.

This bill creates two new criminal offenses in Pennsylvania to protect vulnerable individuals who rely on others for care. It establishes charges for the neglect and abuse of care-dependent persons, as well as a specific crime for institutional sexual assault committed by caretakers in facilities. Under the proposed changes, these acts would be classified as felonies of the second or third degree, depending on the severity of the harm or the nature of the conduct. The legislation aims to strengthen legal protections for people receiving services in care settings by defining these behaviors as serious crimes with defined penalties.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offenses to protect vulnerable individuals, strengthening accountability and legal protections within the criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 8, 2026

HB 2611: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense of aggravated assault of an insured.

This bill creates a new crime called aggravated assault of an insured, which applies specifically to the chief executive officers of health insurers. Under the law, a CEO would be guilty of this offense if they deny a medically necessary benefit to a patient, and that denial directly causes serious bodily injury or death to the patient. The legislation defines "health insurer" to include various types of medical coverage providers while excluding policies like dental, vision, and workers' compensation plans. If passed, the bill would take effect 60 days after its enactment.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates a new crime to punish CEOs who deny medically necessary benefits causing death, enhancing accountability and protecting public safety.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill protects patient rights by criminalizing insurer denials of medically necessary care that cause harm.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Insurance

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 2, 2026

HB 2589: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to operation of vehicles, further providing for homicide by vehicle while driving under influence.

This bill, known as the Legacy Law, amends Pennsylvania's homicide statutes to mandate financial restitution for parents or guardians when a child under 18 or a dependent dies due to a parent driving under the influence. If a court convicts a driver of this offense and the victim was a minor or dependent, the defendant must pay reasonable financial support to the victim's family until the child turns 18 or 19, depending on their education status. The law requires courts to consider various factors, such as the child's needs and the surviving parent's resources, when calculating these payments, which can be made directly to the family or held in a court trust. Additionally, the bill specifies that if a surviving parent has already won a civil lawsuit for damages, the criminal restitution order will be adjusted to avoid double compensation. The new provisions take effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by mandating financial restitution for families of victims killed by drunk drivers, enhancing accountability and victim support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 31, 2026

HB 2339: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of aggravated assault.

This bill expands the legal definition of aggravated assault in Pennsylvania to include school staff members and crossing guards. Specifically, it adds teaching employees, school board members, licensed private school workers, parochial school employees, and school crossing guards to the list of individuals protected by aggravated assault laws. The change applies when these individuals are acting within the scope of their employment or due to their relationship with the school. If passed, the new provisions would take effect 60 days after the bill is enacted.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by expanding aggravated assault protections to school staff, enhancing safety and accountability.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens protection for school staff and crossing guards, enhancing safety for educators and school personnel.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime School Safety

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 26, 2026

SB 1212: An Act amending the act of November 29, 2006 (P.L.1471, No.165), known as the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act, further providing for definitions.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act by updating the legal definition of "awaiting testing" for sexual assault evidence. The change clarifies that evidence awaiting testing includes items collected by law enforcement that have not yet undergone DNA or forensic analysis and are part of an ongoing criminal investigation. This definition update directly affects how law enforcement agencies and the Department of Health classify and manage sexual assault evidence in the state. The amendment ensures consistency in terminology used across the existing evidence collection program without altering other operational procedures.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill clarifies evidence definitions for sexual assault cases, improving law enforcement procedures and victim evidence handling within criminal justice system.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 11, 2026

HB 2279: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in limitation of time relating to criminal proceedings, further providing for other offenses.

This bill updates Pennsylvania's criminal law by establishing a five-year statute of limitations for prosecuting specific serious offenses. It directly affects prosecutors and defendants by setting a deadline within which these cases must be filed after the alleged crime occurs. The law covers a wide range of crimes including murder-related attempts and conspiracies, violent offenses like kidnapping and robbery, financial crimes such as fraud and bribery, and other serious violations like arson and drug delivery resulting in death. The changes apply to all listed offenses regardless of whether the crime was completed or attempted, ensuring that serious allegations can still be pursued within a defined timeframe.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes statute of limitations for serious crimes, strengthening criminal justice system by ensuring timely prosecution while protecting defendants from stale evidence.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 9, 2025

SB 912: 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, for DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases, for DNA data base exchange, for expungement and for mandatory cost; and making an editorial change.

SB 912 expands Pennsylvania's DNA collection requirements to include individuals convicted of or adjudicated for criminal homicide, felony sex offenses, and certain other specified offenses (like specific misdemeanors such as simple assault or indecent exposure). It establishes a statewide DNA database under the State Police to store forensic profiles from these individuals, as well as DNA from missing persons and unidentified decedents. The bill mandates annual reports tracking demographic data, costs, and processing times for DNA samples, and includes provisions for expunging DNA records. It directly affects people convicted of covered offenses by requiring DNA samples upon conviction or adjudication, with samples stored in the state database for forensic use.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands DNA collection for violent offenses, enhancing forensic capabilities and database infrastructure in criminal investigations per Pennsylvania law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice Policing Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 15, 2026

HB 1902: An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) and 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of ethnic intimidation; in particular rights and immunities, further providing for civil rights violations; and, in employees, further providing for definitions and providing for annual officer training on hate-based intimidation.

HB 1902 updates Pennsylvania law to specifically address hate-based harassment by adding "ethnic intimidation" as a distinct criminal offense under assault laws. It expands civil rights protections for victims of hate crimes by clarifying violations related to bias against race, ethnicity, or national origin. The bill requires municipal employees to complete annual training on recognizing and responding to hate-based intimidation. These changes directly affect law enforcement, municipal staff, and individuals experiencing bias-motivated violence or discrimination in Pennsylvania.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds 'ethnic intimidation' as distinct offense, expands civil rights protections for hate crime victims, and mandates hate-based intimidation training for law enforcement/municipal staff.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Violent Crime

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Apr 9, 2025

HB 407: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of stalking.

HB 407 creates a new criminal offense for unauthorized location tracking in Pennsylvania, making it illegal to install or use technology (such as apps or devices) to monitor someone's location without their consent. Exceptions include law enforcement during investigations, parents tracking minor children, guardians monitoring incapacitated persons, and other specific scenarios like fleet vehicle tracking with proper consent. The bill does not change existing stalking laws but adds this new provision to address technology-enabled harassment. It directly affects individuals who might use location-tracking tools to harass others, while clarifying permitted uses for safety and legal purposes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds new offense for unauthorized location tracking, protecting privacy rights and enhancing stalking laws under criminal justice reform.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits unauthorized location tracking via technology, strengthening data privacy protections under criminal law.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Violent Crime

Track

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Sep 10, 2025

HB 1416: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in miscellaneous provisions relating to operation of vehicles, providing for the offense of interference with operation or movement of a public transit vehicle.

HB 1416 would create a new criminal offense for interfering with the operation or movement of public transit vehicles, such as buses or trains. It directly affects individuals who physically block doors, assault drivers or passengers, or otherwise disrupt transit service. The bill establishes specific penalties for these actions under Pennsylvania's vehicle laws, treating interference as a criminal violation. This change aims to clarify legal consequences for behaviors that endanger transit operations and passenger safety. The bill is currently stalled, having been "laid on the table" in September 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense for transit interference, strengthening law enforcement's ability to address safety threats under vehicle laws.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationCreates criminal penalties for disrupting public transit operations, directly enhancing safety and operational integrity of transportation services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime Public Transit Vehicle Registration

Track