Bill > HB1968

This bill adds a new section to Pennsylvania law that establishes robust protections for personal rights and creates legal mechanisms to address interference with those rights. The legislation allows district attorneys, the Attorney General, or individuals to bring civil actions against anyone who threatens, intimidates, or coerces someone from exercising their constitutional or legal rights. Potential remedies include injunctive relief, civil penalties up to $25,000, damages, and attorney fees. The bill includes important safeguards, such as specifying that speech alone is not sufficient grounds for action unless it involves a specific threat of violence that the speaker appears capable of carrying out. Civil actions can be filed in the county where the violation occurred or where the defendant resides, and any injunctive relief orders must clearly state that violating them is a criminal offense, potentially resulting in misdemeanor charges. The law also requires law enforcement to be informed about potential violence related to these orders and explicitly states that sovereign immunity does not apply to actions against peace officers. Importantly, the provisions of this section cannot be waived by contract, ensuring broad and consistent protections for individuals' rights across the Commonwealth.

Justice

https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1968