Under current law, penalties for harassment are determined by the alleged actions of the defendant. However, HB 102 would depart from this legal framework by enhancing the penalty from a summary offense to a third-degree misdemeanor based on who the victim is, instead of punishing people based on the extent, content, duration, or severity of harassment, regardless of the target.

HB 1042 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 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.

Costs, fees, and fines imposed on juveniles undermine public safety, harm youth and families, and create economic and racial disparities. HB 1385 would eliminate juvenile justice system fees and fines, cap restitution costs, and eliminate juvenile court referral for contempt on nonpayment of a summary offense fine.

HB 1396 is an omnibus reform bill that would (1) expand voting access (e.g., machine-based early voting, standardized ballot drop box requirements, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds); (2) modernize and secure our elections (e.g., electronic poll books, recount reform); and (3) address administrative challenges through practical improvements to mail ballot procedures.

HB 1416 would create a new criminal offense, with five suboffenses, to punish harm or attempted harm to public transit operators. Each of these offenses are already criminalized under current law and as such, are duplicative and unnecessary.

HB 1492 would prohibit landlords from considering drug distribution convictions older than seven years and to require individualized assessments that consider the unique circumstances of such convictions. By taking a more nuanced approach to drug distribution convictions, landlords will still be able to maintain the safety of their tenants while giving individuals with less severe drug distribution convictions a chance to have safe and stable housing.

HB 150 would allow incarcerated people to petition for medical release when they have a substantially diminished ability to function in a correctional facility due to a terminal illness, a chronic and debilitating physical or medical condition or disease, a serious functional or cognitive impairment or deteriorating physical or mental health due to the aging process.

HB 1604 would require that all law enforcement officers in an agency located in a county of the second class A undergo and complete mandatory in-service firearms training courses at least four times each year. undergo real-world simulation training at least twice per year to better prepare them for on-duty confrontations. Documentation of all trainings would be required, with officers who fail to complete the training requirements placed on administrative leave until the requirements are met.

HB 1613 would ensure children are given an opportunity to consult with an attorney prior to a custodial interrogation. Through decades of research we know that children are inherently different from adults in their behavior, mental and emotional maturity, decision-making skills, and ability to use critical reasoning. We also know the dangers associated with coercive interrogation practices, which makes the need for this common-sense reform all the more urgent.

HB 1640 would protect healthcare records related to reproductive services from disclosure in Pennsylvania civil and criminal actions/investigations.

HB 1643 would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from enforcing other states' judgments in cases involving the provision of reproductive healthcare services.

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 166 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 1822 would allow certain elected officials and their family members and close associates to demand that data brokers permanently stop disclosing their personal information. While intended to enhance safety and reduce harassment, HB 1822 raises significant civil liberties and constitutional concerns. It threatens freedom of speech and press, undermines transparency, and could unintentionally weaken democratic accountability.

HB 1908 would increase mandatory minimum fines and the possibility of up to two years’ imprisonment for repeated violations of protection from abuse orders. The bill would impose severe penalties for what may be non-violent or technical violations of protective orders (for example, inadvertent contact, miscommunication, or minor violations). Applying such a sanction scheme risks punishments that are disproportionate to the underlying conduct and the risk posed.

HB 1909 would replace nuanced, individualized sentencing with a one-size-fits-all penalty enhancement. It introduces mandatory minimum-style consequences under the guise of grading enhancements and would disrupt established sentencing conventions, threaten to swell the incarcerated population, place added strain on the public defense system, and inject constitutional and practical problems where none currently exist.

HB 1934 would actually make it harder for people to obtain information in lawsuits against the Commonwealth. The proposed changes would create confusion, inconsistency, and more red tape. Each agency would have to develop its own procedures for handling discovery, leading to delays and inefficiencies that make it harder for Pennsylvanians to hold the government accountable.

HB 1935 would create a sentencing enhancement for individuals convicted of making terroristic threats against a school or institution of higher education. Current law already classifies such conduct as a felony of the third degree when it causes an evacuation, lockdown, or disruption from normal operations. This bill is unnecessary and counterproductive. Adding a new sentencing enhancement serves only to increase incarceration exposure without adding deterrent value or improving public safety.

HB 1957 is a proposed PA constitutional amendment that would affirm and protect every Pennsylvanian’s right to privacy with respect to personal, sexual, and reproductive healthcare decisions, including the right to choose or refuse an abortion, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, all without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, or relationship status.

Currently, women seeking an abortion in PA are required to receive mandated counseling and must wait 24-hours before a scheduled procedure. These requirements create unnecessary obstacles and often deter pregnant individuals from accessing abortion care. HB 2005 would remove the medically unnecessary 24-hour waiting period and counseling requirement from current Pennsylvania law.

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 238 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 282 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 374 would dramatically expand the scope of PA’s campaign finance laws, forcing disclosure of nonprofit organizations’ donors and supporters, even when those individuals are not engaged in electoral activity. HB 374 would erode the long-standing privacy protections that allow Pennsylvanians to give to charitable organizations without fear of retaliation or intimidation. Transparency should apply to government actions, not to private citizens exercising their First Amendment rights.

By requiring the recording of custodial interrogations, HB 413 would ensure that statements admitted in court are reliable, protects against coercion and wrongful convictions, and reduces costly disputes over contested evidence. These protections not only safeguard the rights of the accused but also enhance the credibility of law enforcement and promote public confidence in the justice system.

HB 439, known as the CROWN Act, 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. HB 439 would prohibit racial discrimination of hair texture and protective hairstyles historically associated with race without infringing on an employer's right to implement otherwise valid workplace health and safety rules or policies.

HB 458 would allow incarcerated veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) after imprisonment to apply to the court for post-conviction relief, enabling them to present their diagnosis of a mental health disability sustained during or as a result of active duty or training for active duty as a mitigating factor in the crime for which they were charged.

Currently, PA state law protects journalists from having to reveal the identity of any confidential sources, but there are other pieces of information that journalists use in their jobs that deserve such protections. HB 490 would extend Pennsylvania’s media shield law to cover all records, information, and documents created or acquired by journalists in their professional duties.

HB 670 replicates current federal law under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing access to reproductive health care clinics. If enacted in PA, the bill would protect the fundamental right to access health services without infringing on protected free speech.

HB 728 would reduce the barriers people experience when transitioning out of incarceration. We should consider all the ways to make re-entry successful for more returning residents. Providing people documentation needed to secure a job, housing and services will be a great improvement.

HB 771 would require voters to show identification at every election. The bill not only mirrors the current list of acceptable photo and non-photo forms of identification required for first-time voters, it expands it. And if a voter forgets to bring identification with them to the polls, they have two options to still cast their ballot in person.

While we appreciate the attempts to address the proliferation of straw purchases and illegal firearm trafficking, the ACLU-PA must oppose HB 837 as it is facially unconstitutional. In the 9th circuit, a similar California law that limited most members of the public to acquiring one firearm in any 30-day period was struck down. The court found the law facially violated the Second Amendment and was not comparable to historical restrictions on gun acquisition.

HB 956 would add municipal workers as the fortieth category to the list of officers or employees against whom simple assault would automatically be charged as a second-degree felony aggravated assault. HB 956 would mete out greater punishment based not on the intent or severity of the assault, but rather on the employment status of the victim.

HR 165 is a proposed resolution to study pretrial detention practices and detainee populations in the Commonwealth. A lack of data and transparency related to pretrial detainee populations is a significant problem in PA. Having any data to better understand the issue can only help us as we advocate for reform, especially in the area of cash bail.

A resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study looking at the current utilization of poll workers, polling places, and voting machines. This study will help to determine the best course of action moving forward and identify legislative and administrative recommendations to minimize the time needed to vote.

A resolution that would direct the Joint State Government Commission to study diversion programs in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, the Joint State Government Commission would be directed to make recommendations for improving existing diversion programs as well as establishing new programs.

SB 10 would create a new, duplicative private school voucher program via scholarships available to parents with children in grades 1-12 who reside within a low achieving school district. Private school vouchers primarily fund religious education with public money, infringing on the religious freedom enshrined in our state constitution. To be sure, parents have a right to send their children to religious schools, but they are not entitled to religious education provided at taxpayer expense.

SB 125 is a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the legislature the constitutional power to pass laws establishing venue in civil cases. The legislature should not have the power to tell the courts how to execute their functions because it dilutes the court's power to act as a check on the legislative and executive branches.

SB 127 would adopt the IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) working definition of antisemitism. Problematically, the IHRA definition of antisemitism includes criticism of Israel and its policies. Adopting this definition would open the door to targeting a range of protected speech. People may disagree about whether such speech is antisemitic, but that debate is irrelevant to the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from censoring or penalizing core political speech.

SB 210 would create a new criminal offense, with five suboffenses, to punish harm or attempted harm to public transit operators. Each of these offenses are already criminalized under current law and as such, are duplicative and unnecessary.

SB 306 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 326 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 326 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 347 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 safe space that can save people from deadly overdoses is *more severe than the punishment for murder.*

SB 471 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.

SB 490 would unconstitutionally prohibit judges from assigning non-monetary bail for defendants based only on their charges. SB 490 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 490 would have little effect on current bail practices. It would, however, exacerbate economic and racial disparities in the criminal legal system.

SB 65 would increase fines and enhance penalties for repeat violations related to school bus safety. While the intent to protect children is laudable, the evidence shows that increasing penalties will not improve compliance or safety. Current penalties are already severe, including substantial fines and mandatory license suspensions.

SB 686 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 § 4911) already covers the behavior described in SB 686. As such, SB 686 is unnecessary and clearly duplicative. In addition, the third-degree felony grading, even for a first offense, is excessively punitive.

SB 716 would allow individuals with an addiction to be involuntarily committed by treating substance use disorder as a mental illness. Imposing civil commitment or court-ordered treatment on people suffering with addiction will likely increase incarceration for failure to comply with court-ordered treatment with a disparate impact on women and people of color. Furthermore, numerous studies show that forcing people into drug treatment involuntarily is not only ineffective but harmful.

SB 790 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 790 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 9 would ban transgender girls and women from participating on athletic teams or in sports from K-college. Trans youth have the right to participate in sports consistent with who they are and denying them that right is blatantly unconstitutional and discriminatory.

SB 912 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 92 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 92 result in the imprisonment of people suffering from substance use disorder, it would impose the failed and ineffective blunt instrument of mandatory minimums.

SB 96 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." As such, SB 96 is both needlessly broad and likely redundant.