Bill > HB231

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Judiciary and Judicial Procedure statutes to provide additional postconviction relief options for veterans with service-connected mental health disabilities. The key provisions include: 1. Allowing veterans to submit a motion for a mental health evaluation to determine if they have a service-connected mental health disability that was a contributing factor in their conviction. If granted, the veteran can then petition for postconviction relief based on this new evidence. 2. Expanding the eligibility criteria for postconviction relief to include a failure to consider evidence that the petitioner has a service-connected mental health disability. 3. Allowing veterans to file a petition for postconviction relief based on evidence of a service-connected mental health disability that was not previously considered, even if the petition would otherwise be time-barred. 4. Establishing that a finding of a service-connected mental health disability can be considered a mitigating circumstance in sentencing for first-degree murder. The bill also grants the state Supreme Court the authority to adopt rules to implement these new provisions.