Bill > HB1673

This bill amends Pennsylvania law to prohibit law enforcement agencies and peace officers from using certain crowd control tactics, specifically banning the use of kinetic impact projectiles (such as rubber bullets, bean bag rounds, and other similar items) to control crowds and prohibiting the use of chemical weapons in any situation. The bill defines chemical weapons broadly, including tear gas, mace, pepper balls, pepper spray, and any chemical compound intended to cause pain or harm. However, the bill does allow for a limited exception regarding pepper spray, which can be used only when an individual is actively combative, physically threatening, and ignoring verbal commands, and when their behavior poses an imminent danger of injury or death to a peace officer or another person. The peace officer must first provide at least two verbal warnings before deploying pepper spray. This legislation applies to various law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, including state police, campus police, county park police, and other entities with peace officer powers. The bill will take effect 60 days after its enactment, aiming to restrict potentially harmful crowd control methods and provide clearer guidelines for law enforcement interactions.

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https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=1673