Bill > HB1511

This bill establishes the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program (VICTIM Program) through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to provide grants to law enforcement agencies to improve clearance rates for homicides and violent crimes. The program allows agencies to use grants for hiring and training personnel, acquiring technology and equipment for evidence collection and forensic testing, analyzing crime trends, upgrading record management systems, and supporting witnesses. Grant recipients must submit annual reports detailing criminal incidents, clearance rates, personnel hired, training implemented, and technology acquired. The commission is required to conduct annual evaluations of the program, assessing performance metrics like clearance rates and time to solve cases, and identifying successful practices and areas for improvement. The bill ensures geographic diversity by reserving at least 10% of grants for rural communities and allows multijurisdictional applications. Grants are meant to supplement, not replace, existing law enforcement funding, and the commission is limited to spending no more than 3% of program appropriations on administrative expenses. The act will take effect 60 days after its passage.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1511