Bill > HB453

This bill proposes updates to definitions in Pennsylvania's emergency services and public safety statutes, specifically expanding and clarifying the term "telecommunicator" and adding telecommunicators to definitions of "emergency responder" across multiple sections of law. The bill defines a telecommunicator as an individual employed by a public safety answering point (PSAP) whose primary responsibilities include receiving, processing, transmitting, and dispatching emergency and non-emergency calls via telephone, radio, or other communication devices, and explicitly includes call takers, emergency dispatchers, and supervisors in this definition. By amending three different sections of Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, the bill ensures that telecommunicators are formally recognized as critical emergency services personnel, which could have implications for their professional status, benefits, and mental wellness support. The changes replace the older term "911 dispatcher" with the more comprehensive "telecommunicator" and explicitly include these professionals in the broader category of emergency responders, potentially extending to them the same protections, recognition, and support afforded to other first responders. The bill will take effect 60 days after its enactment.

Budget and Finance, Military Affairs and Security

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=453