Bill > HB988

This bill establishes the Jayanna Powell Hit-and-Run Direct Notification System, named after an eight-year-old girl who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in 2016, with the goal of helping law enforcement more quickly identify and apprehend drivers who flee accident scenes. The legislation requires the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to develop a system that compiles and distributes information about vehicles involved in hit-and-run accidents resulting in serious injury or death to registered motor vehicle repair facilities. After such an accident, law enforcement must notify repair facilities via the system with details about the suspect vehicle, including make, model, year, color, license plate number, unique characteristics, and damage extent. Motor vehicle repair facilities must register with the department and, if they discover a vehicle matching the description in the system, are legally obligated to contact the investigating law enforcement agency. Failure to report a matching vehicle is classified as a third-degree misdemeanor. The bill highlights that hit-and-run accidents cause approximately 1,500 deaths annually in the United States, with 60% of victims being pedestrians, and aims to create a more effective mechanism for tracking down drivers who illegally flee accident scenes. The system will take effect 30 days after being signed into law.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=988