HB 1067 would amend the Public School Code to waive the citizenship requirement for teachers to allow qualified non-citizens—those with a valid immigrant visa, work visa or employment document—to be hired as teachers. As PA is facing a steep decline in its number of qualified teachers, HB 1067 would help alleviate this shortfall, expand employment opportunities for qualified residents, and ensure that Pennsylvania's teachers better reflect the diversity of the students in their classrooms.

HB 1085 would create an Indigent Defense Advisory Committee and a grant fund to support indigent defense. Pennsylvania remains the only state in the nation that fails to provide state-level funding for public defenders and instead requires that individual counties bear 100% of the financial burden to maintain their essential—and constitutionally required—public defense services.

HB 1140 would require insurance companies to cover all contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products and services at no cost to the consumer, ensuring that no one loses access to contraception because of their income—and guarantees it for those who need, want, and deserve it.

HB 1188 would allow a member of the General Assembly to request a demographic impact statement on any piece of legislation proposing changes to the crimes and offenses in Title 18 or sentencing laws in Title 42. Impact statements offer an effective and informative tool to evaluate potential disparities of proposed legislation on different demographic groups prior to adoption.

Currently, PA House and Senate candidates are only required to file campaign expense reports on the second Friday before an election. HB 1220 would require candidates to file an additional pre-election campaign expense report on the sixth Tuesday prior to a primary election. This would ensure earlier disclosure and greater transparency regarding contributions made to candidates for the General Assembly.

PennDOT currently requires an applicant for REAL ID to provide an original Social Security card, but does not provide any other document options to verify a person's Social Security number. Pennsylvania is the only state that does not provide residents with alternative SSN verification options. HB 1243 would require PennDOT to accept additional documentation permitted under the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 to verify an applicant’s Social Security number when applying for REAL ID.

HB 1245 would expand access to Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) statewide. SSPs are community-based health programs that provide a range of services to those struggling with substance use disorder. SSPs also protect first responders and the public by providing safe syringe disposal and reducing the presence of discarded needles in our communities.?By passing legislation to specifically allow for statewide SSPs, Pennsylvania will be able to access funding and expertise to support local programs.

The ACLU-PA was previously neutral on HB 1278, but Senate amendments gutted hard-fought language that was successfully negotiated between stakeholders. As a result, HB 1278 reinstates several problematic provisions‚ two in particular: (1) the broad permission it grants parole agents to intercept communications, including third parties who are not under supervision; and (2) the failure to limit how or when footage may be shared with outside law enforcement agencies.

HB 1289 would provide property owners or homeowner associations a streamlined process to repudiate unlawful restrictive covenants from their deeds. An unlawful restrictive covenant is defined as a provision that purports to restrict ownership or occupancy of real property based on a practice or policy of discrimination against individuals or groups covered under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

HB 1332 would amend the Pennsylvania Election Code to require all state-wide and local-level ballot referendum questions involving a bond or borrowing measure to have a fiscal note included within the question, outlining specific information as it relates to the request. When the Commonwealth proposes to incur public debt through a bond or borrowing measure, the use of that public money and the financial repercussions of such a measure should be clearly provided to the voters.

HB 1381 is an omnibus bill that would make numerous, desperately needed improvements to the juvenile justice system. Significant reforms include: eliminating direct file, the practice of automatically charging children as if they were adults; prohibiting pretrial detention for youth under 14 and some other youth; eliminating juvenile fines and fees, and limiting restitution; capping the length of juvenile probation; and eliminating solitary in juvenile facilities with some exceptions.

HB 1394 would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to expand the definition of “race” to include traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles would include, but are not limited to, such hairstyles locs, braids, twists, coils, Bantu knots, afros and extensions. CROWN Act stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

HB 1399 would require all Pennsylvania law enforcement officers to have their badge, with all pertinent identifiable information, visible at all times without exception. Having a badge in clear view, regardless of whether an officer is in uniform or not, would not only ensure that people know when law enforcement is present, but are able to identify officers if and when they engage in unethical or illegal behavior.

Currently, someone sentenced to life or the death penalty needs a unanimous vote by the Board of Pardons just to be considered for pardon or commutation by the governor. HB 1410 is a proposed amendment to the PA Constitution that would replace the unanimous vote requirement with a majority vote requirement to be considered for clemency. This majority requirement was the law before the late 1990’s, changed during the failed "tough on crime" policies of that era, and should be the law again today.

Pennsylvania's current anti-SLAPP law is too narrow, too weak, and long overdue for an update. HB 1466 is a commonsense, bipartisan proposal that would protect all forms of First Amendment expression while making it easier for people to defend against frivolous lawsuits. Pennsylvanians deserve to speak freely without the threat of costly litigation standing in the way of their First Amendment right to public expression.

HB 1470 would establish a process to provide compensation and services to victims of wrongful conviction and imprisonment in Pennsylvania. The bill would provide $100,000 for every year the person was incarcerated on death row; $75,000 for each year of wrongful incarceration not on death row; and $50,000 for each year someone spent on parole or probation for a crime they didn’t commit. This is long overdue, as PA is one of only 12 states without any process to compensate the wrongly convicted.

HB 1479 would provide IT accessibility standards for state and local government websites. Considering that online content is the primary way most people access government information, services, and their elected officials, HB 1479 would guarantee a more equitable and accessible experience for people with disabilities, while protecting Pennsylvanians’ right to open and transparent government.

HB 1488 would amend the Pennsylvania Election Code to require that ballot questions be submitted to voters only during a general election and only every two years when there is a presidential or gubernatorial election. This would ensure that ballot questions are submitted to and decided by as many eligible voters as possible, which means more Pennsylvanians have a say in amending our state constitution.

HB 1531 would strengthen the requirements of PA's police misconduct database. HB 1531 would close a loophole in the 2020 Act that created this database to prevent problematic police officers from being passed from department to department, with no way for those agencies to access—or even know about—an officer's previous history of misconduct before being hired. HB 1531 would provide PA communities with the kind of transparency, accountability, and compliance they deserve from law enforcement.

Current law requires individuals between the ages of 15 and 17 charged with certain felonies be charged in adult court if they meet certain requirements, such as the use of a weapon during the alleged crime. Enacted during the 1990's racially-fueled hysteria over "super predators," this “direct file” law has proven to be an ineffective, failed, and cruel policy. In addition to repealing PA's direct file law, HB 1551 would prohibit prosecuting any child as an adult.

HB 1599 would provide new regulations for the use of solitary confinement in correctional institutions and facilities, greatly limiting and in many cases, prohibiting, the use of solitary confinement for vulnerable populations. There is no benefit to placing someone in isolation, and the excessive use of solitary confinement in our correctional facilities is cruel and unnecessary.

HB 1601 would require the Department of Corrections to work in concert with the Department of Transportation and Department of Human Services to help people transitioning out of prison obtain a driver’s license, Pennsylvania state ID, and/or work permit. This will assist people with their reentry process and help them take necessary steps to obtain employment, housing, and education.

HB 1629 would require safe storage of firearms in locations where minors might gain access to them and new criminal offenses for violating the bill's requirements. The ACLU-PA would not object to requiring safe storage of firearms or to imposing civil penalties if a minor accesses an unsecured firearm. But the ACLU-PA opposes any effort to hold parents (or other adults) criminally responsible via vicarious liability for the actions of their children or another minor.

HB 1678 would establish the Earned Vocational Training and Education Credit to allow people incarcerated in state facilities to earn vocational and educational credits against their minimum sentence. These credits would count towards reducing their sentence—10-180 days, depending on the program—making them eligible for parole or short sentence parole earlier than they would otherwise be.

HB 1700 would add federal judicial officers as protected officials under 18 § 2719 (endangering a public official). But federal judges are already protected under several offenses in the U.S. Code. Additionally, under the dual sovereignty doctrine, HB 1700 would enable prosecution of the same conduct under both state and federal law. Duplicating protections for federal judges under state law will only lead to excessive punishment and even more unnecessary and redundant laws.

HB 1708 would enact a recommendation of the Juvenile Justice Task Force to require the expansion of in-school diversion for most school-based offenses, narrow the definition of "weapon" for the purposes of arresting students in schools, and increase oversight of education for children who are placed in private and state facilities.

HB 1726 would amend the Housing Authorities Law to allow cities of the third class to establish public housing police forces. People living in policed public housing communities are disproportionately surveilled and criminalized. This is exacerbated by weaker Fourth Amendment protections for public housing residents that give police more expansive authority to stop, arrest, search and seize the people who live there.

HB 1781 would ensure that defendants being assessed for drug and alcohol addiction following a DUI charge would also be considered for medication-assisted treatment in conjunction with behavioral therapies. PA's assessment process does not currently include consideration of medication when establishing treatment recommendations. HB 1781 would offer those charged with a DUI offense the means to enter and sustain recovery and therefore the greatest chance to avoid relapsing and reoffending.

HB 1806 would restore the grading thresholds for welfare fraud to prior levels, after having been recently increased by the legislature. Those increases created a backlog of cases. By reverting to the previous statutory scheme, the Office of State Inspector General (OSIG) will be able to pursue a greater number of cases at the Magisterial District Justice level, increasing OSIG’s efficiency and the likelihood that stolen public assistance funds will be recovered for use by qualified recipients.

HB 1859 would add numerous offenses to the list of convictions that prohibit gun possession. The bill would cast the net even wider by including the inchoate offenses for each current (and newly proposed) enumerated offense on the list. Furthermore, HB 1859 does not require that a firearm was used in the commission of a crime and would add offenses that are not considered "crimes of violence."

HB 188 would require arresting law enforcement officers to read a simplified version of Miranda warnings prior to questioning a minor or suspected minor. This would ensure that Pennsylvania's children are provided a full understanding of their constitutional right to protection from self-incrimination.

HB 2017 would restrict young people (under 16 years old) from accessing social media content that might cause harm to the “physical health, mental health or the wellbeing of a minor.” To accomplish this, HB 2017 would require invasive age verification, violating young peoples' privacy and First Amendment right to free speech and right to access protected speech. As a result, vulnerable youth would likely struggle to access vital resources and supportive networks.

HB 2015 would amend the PA Human Relations Act to remove the current exemptions that exclude agricultural and domestic workers. This would ensure that all workers have a right to be protected from discrimination in the workplace.

HB 2231 would adopt the Uniform Law Commission's "Uniform Electronic Recordation of Custodial Interrogations Act," which requires law enforcement to electronically record a custodial interrogation when it relates to a crime of violence allegedly committed by an adult or a minor, unless a legitimate exception exists. Recording police interrogations is a commonsense practice that protects defendants and law enforcement alike.

HB 2266 would create new, duplicative offenses to penalize street racing and "drifting." The new summary offenses could currently be charged under reckless driving, and the new third-degree felony offense could currently be charged as either aggravated assault by vehicle or homicide by vehicle.

HB 2269 would amend Title 23 to update Pennsylvania's current definition of marriage and repeal the section that only recognizes marriage as being between a man and woman. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the right to marry is a fundamental liberty and should be available to everyone, including same sex couples. HB 2269 would update the now-unconstitutional provisions under PA statute to accurately reflect the right to marriage equality.

Currently in PA, a person can be found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to mandatory life without parole, also known as felony murder, without committing, intending to commit, or having knowledge of the murder committed. HB 2296 would create a pathway to parole eligibility for adults and juveniles sentenced to felony murder, thereby incentivizing good behavior and rehabilitation while incarcerated via educational advancement, work opportunities, and religious programming.

HB 2428 would authorize PennDOT to issue electronic driver's licenses and ID cards, also known as mDLs (mobile driver's licenses), but fails to include vital privacy safeguards along with this new technology. At a minimum, HB 2428 must prohibit centralized ID tracking and further limit police searches of cell phones in order to offer the benefits of mDLs without leaving Pennsylvanians vulnerable to warrantless searches and a powerful, centralized government surveillance and tracking system.

HB 2429 would authorize the PA Department of Corrections to establish a medical assistance reentry program for incarcerated individuals who are scheduled to be released and returning to their community. This would ensure a continuity of care, so that access to medication, substance use disorder treatment, and case management services are not disrupted.

HB 283 would require that each member of the General Assembly hold a public meeting in their legislative district to receive public comment on proposed constitutional amendments or other statewide ballot questions. HB 283 would ensure that residents are aware of proposed amendments and other statewide ballot questions, have the opportunity to ask questions, and are given a forum to voice their opinions on proposed changes to our commonwealth's founding document.

HB 300 would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA) to add explicit, statutory protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

HB 394 would expand access to courts by adding a venue for a statutory civil action in human trafficking lawsuits. Lawsuits could be brought either where the victim resides or where the violations occurred, making it easier for trafficking victims to bring civil lawsuits by expanding the venue (or places) where they can bring the suit.

HB 43 would amend current statutory language to prohibit acceptance into an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program (ARD) as a basis for designating a report of suspected child abuse report as “founded.” This change, which provides for stronger due process protections for those admitted to ARD, is a legislative fix to codify the PA Supreme Court's ruling in J.F. v. Dep't of Human Services.

HB 461 would confuse the already available implied private cause of action for anyone aggrieved by another person’s acts or threats that interfere with their ability to vote. By explicitly permitting a private cause of action for instances of voter intimidation, HB 461 would eliminate implied civil action and only allow it in cases where it was expressly permissible. It also would require a criminal conviction before a civil suit could be filed—a higher threshold than current law requires.

HB 462 would prohibit police use of chokeholds and positional asphyxia in certain situations, a reform the ACLU-PA supports. HB 462 would also establish use of force reporting requirements. Unfortunately, the use of force reporting requirements under SB 462 would yield little, if any, actionable information, offering neither transparency nor accountability. As a result—and by any metric—it fails as a reform measure, moving the ACLU-PA to neutral on this bill.

HB 483 would mandate the creation of a Gun Violence Task Force (GVTF) in any county that exceeds a certain threshold for firearm-related deaths and would allow the Office of Attorney General (OAG) to assert preemptive prosecutorial jurisdiction for certain gun-related offenses. HB 483 would usurp the authority and discretion of local law enforcement, concentrating the power to decide whether and how to investigate and prosecute local cases with the OAG.

HB 507 would require health care providers, when involved in professional instruction or clinical training, to obtain specific informed consent (both verbal and written), before performing a pelvic, rectal, or prostate examination while the patient is anesthetized or unconscious in a facility that provides health care services.

HB 587 would permit incarcerated individuals to petition for early release on parole due to age, illness, or medical reasons during a public health emergency. PA’s current compassionate release mechanisms are so narrow as to be impractical in almost every case. Humanizing this system to expand compassionate release options would shift limited corrections resources to where they are most needed.

HB 689 would make drug felonies and some property-related felonies eligible for criminal record sealing, while shortening eligibility waiting periods. This new Clean Slate bill would help people with old criminal records improve their employment prospects and help Pennsylvania employers find candidates for jobs that they desperately need to fill.

HB 703 would extend the time period for emergency protection from abuse (PFA) orders up to 10 days. Such an extension, which can already be accomplished through a temporary order, would impede a defendant’s due process rights. By extending an emergency order up to 10 days, a defendant could wait 20 or more days before they would be entitled to a hearing before a common pleas judge. The current process already balances the rights and interests of both parties without running afoul of due process.

HB 716 would allow a court to impose community service in lieu of payment for traffic fines for those without the ability to pay fines and costs. Although this is already permitted under current law, many MDJs mistakenly believe that community service can't be ordered to replace payment of traffic fines. HB 716 would provide an important clarification that community service is available for traffic offenses, giving MDJs more tools in their toolbox for people who cannot pay.

After a conviction for first-degree murder, the jury decides whether to impose a life sentence or the death penalty. Juries consider outside factors that could make them more or less inclined to impose the death penalty. HB 751 would require that the state prove—beyond a reasonable doubt—that the aggravating circumstances of a case outweigh any mitigating factors before someone can be sentenced to death, a higher burden of proof than the current requirement of a preponderance of the evidence.

HB 77 would prohibit an individual classified as a sexually violent predator (SVP) from residing within 2,500 feet of a public school, private school, parochial school or daycare center for the duration of their required registration period. This excessive restriction would violate due process protections and would be illegally imposed retroactively.

HB 815 would require that all candidates for office and political action committees (PACs) in Pennsylvania utilize the Department of State’s online filing system to electronically file campaign finance reports. Requiring electronic filing would not only improve government transparency and accountability, it would save the commonwealth money by reducing bureaucratic inefficiencies.

HB 841 would limit the types of offenses for which a juvenile must provide a DNA sample after being tried as an adult or adjudicated delinquent. The bill would also require automatic expungement of juvenile DNA samples, records, or profiles once an offense is eligible for expungement.

HB 847 would amend the PA Election Code to require county boards of elections to meet no earlier than 7 days before an election day to pre-canvas all ballots received prior to that meeting. This would allow counties to begin preparing—but not counting— ballots before 7 am on Election Day, as current law requires, thereby increasing the likelihood that election results are reported sooner.

HB 900 originally would have prohibited people who are incarcerated and pregnant from being shackled or placed in solitary confinement, while requiring trauma-informed care training of corrections officers who interact with pregnant or postpartum residents. However, amendments to the bill eroded protections against the use of solitary confinement for pregnant people and as a result, the ACLU-PA changed its position from support to neutral.

There are more than 700,000 people who have medical marijuana cards in PA—not a single one of them can lawfully drive. A trace amount of marijuana metabolite in the body, even weeks after medical marijuana use, can still result in a DUI charge. HB 983 strikes a rational balance between holding impaired drivers accountable and permitting nearly three-quarters of a million Pennsylvanians, many of whom are prescribed medical marijuana for a disability, the right to drive.

HB 999 would repeal the death penalty in PA. The death penalty denies equal protection of the laws, is cruel and unusual punishment, and violates guarantees of due process. It is so inconsistent with the underlying values of our democratic system—the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness—that the imposition of death for any crime is a denial of civil liberties. The only way to guarantee that no factually innocent person will be executed is to eliminate capital punishment entirely.

HR 113 would direct the Joint State Government Commission to study how body-worn cameras and footage are currently used and stored in the Commonwealth. Pennsylvanians deserve to know how body cameras are being used by law enforcement agencies across the state, which departments are utilizing body-worn cameras, and how cameras and footage can more effectively contribute to police and civilian accountability.

HR 269 would direct the Joint State Government Commission to establish a bipartisan task force to study the Pennsylvania crimes code. PA criminal law has offenses scattered all over the consolidated and unconsolidated statutes, is riddled with duplicative crimes, and plagued by ad hoc, inconsistent grading that undermines any standard of proportional punishment. HR 269 would provide a desperately needed—and long overdue—comprehensive assessment of Pennsylvania's criminal law.

HR 416 would direct the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study and issue a report to the General Assembly on how dependent our court system has grown on collecting fines and fees to pay for its operational needs, forecast future suspected growth in this trend, and detail what would be needed should the legislature wish to stem this projection or eliminate it.

When SB 1 passed the Senate, it proposed three separate constitutional amendments that would 1) limit executive branch regulatory authority; 2) require voters to show ID at each election; and 3) create a two-year statute of limitations window for survivors of child sexual abuse. The House amended SB 1 to limit the bill to the statute of limitations amendment, on which the ACLU-PA took no position. As a result, only the final Senate floor vote was scored.

SB 1021 would add a new suboffense to 18 Pa.C.S. § 4304 (endangering welfare of children) to make “leaving a child unattended in any part of a licensed gaming facility” a third-degree felony offense. This is an unnecessary and duplicative offense, since § 4304 would already penalize leaving a child unattended *anywhere* as a third-degree felony.

SB 1031 would eliminate the unnecessary and burdensome requirements for the licensing of natural hair braiders in Pennsylvania. Instead, the bill would convert licenses to permits. Removing the onerous prerequisite that natural hair braiders complete 300 hours of instruction at a cosmetology school prior to examination and licensing would unburden small business owners of this costly regulation while preserving the positive benefits of examination and consumer safety granted by licensure.

SB 1118 would allow courts to impose community service in lieu of payment for traffic fines for those who are unable to pay, while also requiring judges to follow robust guidelines for holding ability to pay hearings. SB 1118 would alleviate the archaic and overly punitive practice of suspending a person's driver's license as punishment for nonpayment or failure to respond to a citation, or jailed simply because they can't afford to pay a traffic ticket.

SB 1120 would unconstitutionally prohibit judges from assigning non-monetary bail for defendants based only on their charges. SB 1120 would violate (1) the constitutional requirements for bail consideration, and (2) the constitutional separation of powers, which gives the courts power to decide criminal legal procedures. In addition, if enacted, SB 1120 would have little effect on current bail practices. It would, however, exacerbate economic and racial disparities in the criminal legal system.

SB 1127 would require state and county prosecutors to notify ICE if they become aware that a criminal defendant is not a citizen or is otherwise unlawfully in the U.S. ICE already has more than enough tools it needs to target people for immigration enforcement. Furthermore, entangling these two distinct systems by involving ICE during on-going criminal cases could have harmful ripple effects throughout the criminal legal system.

Currently, Pennsylvania participates in ERIC (Electronic Registration Information Center), a multi-state cooperative funded by member dues. SB 125 is structured to prohibit PA from participating in the ERIC cooperative, the only reliable tool for cleaning up voter registration records between states. If this bill is motivated by genuine "voter fraud” concerns, then continuing PA's participation in ERIC is an effective way to guard against those concerns.

SB 1260 would prohibit PA state funds from boycotting or divesting from Israel and would withhold funding to higher education institutions that engage in a boycott or divestment from Israel. While narrowly tailored, by applying its restrictions to private and state-related schools, SB 1260 would violate First Amendment protections. The Commonwealth should not dictate whether those entities get funding based on political considerations.

SB 1271 would create a third-degree felony offense to prohibit entities from using false, deceptive, or misleading names that suggest a connection to or endorsement by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or its municipalities, punishable by up to 7 years in prison and $15,000 in fines. Not only is it unclear what problem the bill is attempting to address, criminalizing this activity by imposing a third-degree felony penalty is unnecessary and wildly excessive.

SB 135 would, in most cases, abolish death by incarceration by eliminating the ability to sentence adults and juveniles to life without parole for first- and second-degree convictions, offering second chances to some of the more than 5,000 people who are serving life without parole in Pennsylvania. The bill would also change the penalty for people previously convicted of two crimes of violence to a minimum of 20 years and up to life *with* the possibility of parole.

SB 140 would create a "special prosecutor" under the Attorney General’s office who is responsible for prosecuting and investigating all crimes that occur on public transportation in Philadelphia. SB 140 is a brazen attempt to undermine the authority of one district attorney, in one city, to override the votes of every Philadelphian who elected him. It would also violate the PA Constitution, which prohibits the state from creating special laws that interfere with local authority.

SB 165 would charge any overdose prevention center with a felony, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines for an individual or up to $2,000,000 in fines for a clinic. These penalties EXCEED the statutory maximum penalties for a first-degree felony. In other words, the penalty for providing a space that can save people from deadly overdoses is *more severe than the punishment for murder.*

SB 168 would require the Department of Human Services to reimburse counties for 50% of court costs related to the appointment of counsel in juvenile proceedings. PA is woefully negligent in funding indigent defense, as it remains the only state that fails to contribute any state-level funding to provide constitutionally-required counsel for those who cannot afford it. Funding provided under SB 168 would strengthen due process and procedural safeguards for indigent juvenile defendants.

SB 170 would create a standardized statewide expungement process for juvenile records under certain circumstances and require a Chief Juvenile Probation Officer to notify the court when a person's juvenile record(s) are eligible for expungement. Establishing a mechanism to expunge these records would ensure that young people who have completed their obligations to the court are not held back from successful transition into adulthood due to prior involvement in the juvenile justice system.

Currently, PA’s Right-to-Know Law does not distinguish between requests for commercial or noncommercial purposes. SB 210 would add a new category of commercial requesters subject to different rules and fee structures. If enacted, this would be the first time PA's 65-year old public records law would allow government agencies to treat requesters differently depending on who they are and why they want the information. If a record is public, it should be available to everyone without exception.

SB 22 would attempt to protect minors from harmful social media content by prohibiting social media companies / platforms from causing or encouraging minors to access content that creates harm to the "physical health, mental health or wellbeing of a minor." In doing so, SB 22 risks violating the First Amendment, inviting parental surveillance (including of at-risk youth), and imposing unenforceable requirements on social media companies.

SB 235 would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a fine of $15,000 (or more) for any person convicted of drug delivery resulting in death if the person had two or more prior convictions, or any person who “received anything of value" in exchange for any controlled or counterfeit controlled substance. Not only would SB 235 result in the imprisonment of people suffering from substance use disorder, it would impose the failed and ineffective blunt instrument of mandatory minimums.

SB 239 would establish guidelines and procedures that govern the investigation and interrogation of correctional and forensic employees. The due process protections for non-criminal misconduct are too broad, making it easier to hide misconduct and harder to hold officers accountable.

SB 250 would require that all paper ballots meet multiple unnecessary security standards. These measures are not only unnecessary, but would likely not comply with voting system manufacturers’ current requirements for suitable paper. SB 250 is an unworkable, expensive, and unfunded mandate and one that has been tried in other states and then abandoned.

Currently, only candidates who file nominating petitions are subject to removal from the ballot for failure to file financial disclosure documents—candidates placed on the ballot due to a write-in campaign are not. SB 255 would extend the requirement for filing a statement of financial interests to all candidates who appear on the ballot in a General Election to provide voters increased transparency about candidates running for public office.

SB 355 would create a new, duplicative offense to punish the destruction of requested public records as a third-degree felony. Tampering with public records or information (18 Pa.C.S. § 4911) already covers the behavior described in SB 355. As such, SB 355 is unnecessary and clearly duplicative. In addition, the third-degree felony grading, even for a first offense, is excessively punitive.

SB 37 would create a new offense to prohibit motorists from using “interactive mobile devices” while driving. This new offense would dangerously expand law enforcement’s power to conduct and justify pretextual traffic stops. Giving police newfound justification to pull people over would make people less safe, while simultaneously undermining local efforts to find less expensive, more effective, and less lethal ways to enforce low-level traffic violations.

SB 371 would create an Indigent Defense Advisory Committee and a grant fund to support indigent defense. Pennsylvania remains the only state in the nation that fails to provide state-level funding for public defenders and instead requires that individual counties bear 100% of the financial burden to maintain their essential—and constitutionally required—public defense services.

SB 383 would prohibit the use of pre-checked donation boxes to solicit recurring campaign contributions from donors without their consent. SB 383 is a commonsense way to limit the ability of campaigns to default to recurring online donations and instead would require campaigns to obtain donors’ express agreement for the payment of recurring political donations.

SB 408 would establish a useful, transparent mechanism to publicly monitor the status of the procedural steps required for a proposed amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution during the critical time after the General Assembly passes the amendment in a second consecutive session and before it appears on the ballot for voters to approve or reject.

SB 425 would prohibit the court from deferring to an executive branch agency when considering the interpretation of a vague or unclear statute. If there is ambiguity in the statutory language, the proper approach would be for the legislature to clarify the statute, not limit the power and authority of the other two branches.

SB 44 would expand the definition of trafficking in individuals to include those who “patronize” a person that may be subject to sexual servitude. Patronizing a victim of sexual servitude is already punishable as a third-degree felony because current law recognizes the difference between someone who is engaged in the process or business of trafficking and someone who patronizes a person being trafficked. SB 44 would erase this critical distinction.

SB 525 would limit the number of right to know requests from repeat—or "vexatious"—requesters. Such a provision would violate requesters' constitutional right to petition the government and to due process. If enacted, SB 525 would permit agencies to pick and choose which Pennsylvanians are entitled to access to public records. If a record is public, then it should be available to all members of the public—without exception.

SB 527 would create a new, duplicative offense that could already be charged under current law (theft by unlawful taking). Furthermore, it would treat acceptance of ARD as an adjudication of guilt to trigger penalty enhancements, likely violating constitutional guarantees of due process and the presumption of innocence.

SB 563 would make the possession, use, sale, threat to use ransomware or inducement of another person to commit one of these acts a crime, many of which can be penalized under current law. The bill includes important notification requirements and plans to study the susceptibility, preparedness, and ability of commonwealth agencies to respond to ransomware attacks. Unfortunately, the strength of those provisions cannot outweigh the excessive criminal penalties provided for under this bill.

SB 596 would amend the organized retail theft statute to drastically lower the thresholds for the retail value of stolen goods to make it easier to charge people with felonies. SB 596 is a bill that relies on demonstrably failed policies in response to an exaggerated “crisis.” If enacted, it would exacerbate existing racial and economic disparities in our criminal legal system, putting more people behind bars for longer.

Pennsylvania's Wiretap Act includes a sunset provision, currently due to expire on December 31st, 2023. SB 598 would extend the sunset deadline until December 31st, 2029. It is critical that the legislature does not allow the Wiretap Act to expire, as it provides numerous privacy protections for Pennsylvanians. It also includes permission for the use of body cameras by law enforcement.

SB 7 would require schools to identify sexually explicit content in school curriculum, materials, and books, notify parents and allow them to review those materials, require parental consent for their children to access the material, and provide alternative curricula if they object. This policy would likely result in preemptive censorship, especially of LGBTQIA+ materials, and would divert educators from prioritizing their work with students.

SB 709 would enhance the penalties for killing a bald or golden eagle one degree higher than for any other endangered or threatened species. Currently, this offense already provides for steep penalties, all of which would carry time ranging from 2-7 years in prison, fines between $5k-$15k, and a possible suspension of a hunting license from 7-15 years. There is no need to carve out one endangered species for overly punitive penalties.

The new offenses proposed under SB 819 are unnecessary and duplicative, as violations against critical infrastructure facilities are already covered under PA’s existing criminal trespass and vandalism statutes.

SB 838 fails to meaningfully reform our broken probation system and changes current law in ways that risk making probation worse in PA by making it easier for judges to incarcerate people after revoking their probation and allowing judges to keep people on probation indefinitely for those who can't pay restitution in full. As such, SB 838 squanders a rare opportunity to meaningfully improve probation in Pennsylvania while threatening to exacerbate the problems that drive its dysfunction.

SB 842 would create a new, separate and duplicative offense for actions already criminalized as harassment under current law. This new offense would punish harassment of sports officials more severely than almost any other target of harassment. This is an unnecessary bill that only serves to further bloat our criminal code, while handing prosecutors more charges to stack against defendants to induce guilty pleas.

SB 897 would increase fines and impose enhanced penalties for repeat offenses for school bus-related traffic violations. Current penalties are significant already. Imposing an across-the-board fine increase is the same failed logic used to justify mandatory minimums. Needlessly increasing penalties, which we know do not have any deterrent effect, only exacerbates financial inequalities between people who can afford to have an attorney represent them at a traffic hearing and those who cannot.

SB 907 would amend the Public School Code to require that every school entity in PA have at least one full-time armed school security person on duty during the school day. SB 907 will create a more intimidating and militarized learning environment for students, exacerbate Pennsylvania’s high student arrest rates—especially for students of color and students with disabilities—while likely increasing the risk of injury and death during a school shooting.

SB 913 would require parental consent for virtual mental health services provided by a school entity. SB 913 places obstacles in the path of support when teens are at an increased risk for mental health issues at a time when there aren't enough therapists in our schools or communities to adequately meet their needs. Rather than establishing "appropriate safeguards", SB 913 is a thinly veiled attempt to circumvent existing laws that give 14+ year olds autonomy over their own care.

SB 959 would permit the automatic scheduling and rescheduling of substances under PA's drug code to align with federal drug schedules. The ACLU-PA would have been neutral on this stand-alone change. However, SB 959 not only fails to provide for a similar process to deschedule or lower the schedule of a substance if/when its federal schedule changes, but it also eliminates the current ability for the PA Secretary of Health to make such an adjustment.

SB 975 would make any threat against a school or educational facility a third-degree felony, punishable by up to 7 years in prison and $15,000 in fines. But current law already punishes threats against a school as a third-degree felony if it resulted in people being "diverted from their normal operations." If it didn't, the offense is graded as a first-degree misdemeanor. As such, SB 975 is both overly punitive and likely redundant.

SB 977 would create a new criminal offense, with five suboffenses, to punish harm caused to public transportation operators. Each of these offenses are already criminalized under current law and as such, are duplicative and unnecessary.

SB 988 proposes a massive expansion of genetic surveillance—seizing DNA from people who are presumed innocent under the law, turning them into permanent suspects. Authorizing law enforcement to accumulate genetic data from people without a warrant flies in the face of our most foundational constitutional principles, like the presumption of innocence and the rights to privacy and due process.

SB 99 would prohibit counties from providing drop boxes and satellite locations to voters. Instead, voters would be required to submit their ballot in person at the county election office and give it to an employee. Drop boxes and satellite offices provide voters with a secure way to submit their ballot. This is especially critical for voters with disabilities, rural voters, and those who vote close to Election Day and can’t be certain that the postal service will deliver their ballot on time.

SB 998 would create new, duplicative offenses to penalize street racing and "drifting." The new summary offenses could currently be charged under reckless driving, and the new third-degree felony offense could currently be charged as either aggravated assault by vehicle or homicide by vehicle.