Bill > HB1585

This bill adds a new section to Pennsylvania's criminal code that prohibits the commercial exploitation of booking photographs, which are images taken by law enforcement for identification purposes during an arrest process. The law makes it a second-degree misdemeanor for any person to solicit or accept payment to remove, modify, or refrain from publishing a booking photograph. Each instance of such payment solicitation or acceptance would constitute a separate violation. Additionally, such conduct would be considered a violation of the state's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. The bill specifies that the offense can be prosecuted in the location where the fee solicitation or acceptance occurred, and a person can be convicted if either the victim or offender is located in Pennsylvania. The law defines a "booking photograph" as an identification image generated by law enforcement in accordance with existing state regulations. The provisions of this bill will take effect 60 days after its enactment, with the primary aim of protecting individuals from potential extortion or harassment related to their arrest records.

Justice

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1585