Bill > SB493

This bill introduces significant changes to Pennsylvania's bail and probation systems by prohibiting cash bail, establishing new conditions for pretrial release, and mandating data collection on pretrial detention. Under the new law, defendants cannot be required to post cash bail, and courts must release defendants unless the prosecution proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant poses an imminent risk of serious harm and no release conditions can mitigate that risk. The bill requires courts to impose only nonmonetary conditions of release, such as supervised monitoring or travel restrictions, and guarantees defendants several rights during pretrial hearings, including the right to counsel, to confront witnesses, and to present evidence. Additionally, the bill mandates that counties collect and publish detailed annual data on pretrial detention, disaggregated by race, gender, and ethnicity, to be made publicly available online. The legislation also modifies probation rules by preventing courts from revoking probation solely due to a defendant's failure to pay electronic monitoring fees. The new law will take effect 60 days after its passage, and it abrogates any existing regulations that conflict with its provisions.

Justice

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=S&type=B&bn=493