HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week passed a bipartisan package of legislation to make Pennsylvania safer through smart justice, Pennsylvania House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) said.
“Presently, like the rest of the country, Pennsylvania does not have a problem with not having enough laws and penalties on the books. We have a problem of local leaders and political prosecutors not enforcing the laws we have,” Benninghoff said. “This package of legislation will ensure a safer Pennsylvania by demanding current law be followed and enforced, crime victims have access to the rights and protections they should be afforded, and our cybersecurity efforts are expanded to prevent and combat attacks on our cyber infrastructure.”
The package of legislation includes:
- House Bill 2238 (Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia): Amends the First Class City Home Rule Act to provide for term limits for the district attorney.
- House Bill 2271 (Rep. K.C. Tomlinson, R-Bucks): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to strengthen penalties on those who sexually extort their victims to such a degree that the extortion leads to serious bodily injury or death.
- House Bill 2275 (Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to grant the attorney general the authority to investigate and institute criminal proceedings for a violation of certain firearm laws within Philadelphia.
- House Bill 1123 (Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia): Amends the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Law to establish a fund under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) to be used to offer up a monetary reward to individuals who provide information leading to the capture and arrest of a perpetrator of criminal homicide of a law enforcement officer.
- House Bill 2464 (Rep Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland): Amends the Crime Victims Act to give crime victims legal standing.
- House Bill 2525 (Rep. Aaron Kaufer, R-Luzerne): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to provide a process by which crime victims can request dissemination of criminal history investigative information which is relevant to a civil action arising out of the crime, provided the victim swears under penalty of law that the information is material and necessary to the civil action.
- House Bill 2412 (Rep. Craig Williams, R-Delaware): Amends the Administrative Code to allow the Pennsylvania National Guard to provide functional support for cybersecurity needs across the Commonwealth.
“Recurring news reports of unchecked violent crime in our Commonwealth’s cities demands a state response in the face of local inaction,” Benninghoff said. “This package of bills is a significant step forward in giving our communities additional tools to keep Pennsylvanians safe, protect victims of crime, and defend critical infrastructure.”