Judiciary 2013-2014

The Senate Judiciary Committee met September 23, 2014 and reported the following bill out of committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 1367 (Gordner): Amends Title 42 providing for sentence of community service.

House Bill 207 (Godshall): Amends Title 20 providing for autopsies.

House Bill 1357 (Heffley): Amends Titles 18 and 75 providing for impersonating a public servant and for visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles.

House Bill 1874 (Farry): Amends Title 42 providing for counseling of sexually violent predators.

House Bill 2234 (Turzai): Amends Title 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations) and Title 54 (Names) to provide for entity transactions.

House Bill 2345 (Marsico): Amends Title 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations) and Title 54 (Names) to provide for entity transactions.

As Amended

House Bill 90 (Saccone): Amends Title 18 providing for administrative subpoena and further providing for civil action


The Senate Judiciary Committee June 26, 2014 and reported the following out of committee:

As Amended

Senate Bill 671 (Hughes): An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for false alarms to agencies of public safety.

House Bill 827 (Regan): An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for retaliation against witness, victim or party.

House Bill 1163 (Marsico): An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for harassment.

House Bill1750 (Maher): An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and related offenses, further providing for the offense of cruelty to animals.

Executive Nominations
The following nominees were reported favorably out of committee:

Hon. William F. Ward for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Allegheny County;
A. Joseph Antanavage, Esq. for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Berks County;
Hon. Anthony D. Scanlon for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Delaware County;
Hon. Anthony J. Rosini for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Northumberland County;
Michael Fanning, Esq., for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Abbe F. Fletman, Esq., for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Vincent N. Melchiorre, Esq., for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Hon. Kenneth J. Powell, Jr. for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Philadelphia County
Hon. Roger F. Gordon for Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court
Stephanie Sawyer, Esq. for Judge, Philadelphia Municipal Court;
George W. Wheeler, Esq. for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Tioga County
David A. Regoli, Esq. for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County
Harry F. Smail, Jr., Esq. for Judge, Court of Common Pleas, Westmoreland County


The Senate Judiciary Committee met June 24, 2014 and reported the following bills out of committee:

As Amended

House Bill 80 (Metcalfe): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to provide for the offense of theft of a secondary metal and to provide for the grading of the offense based upon value of the secondary metal and number of times the offense has been committed.

House Bill 2107 (Hurt): Amends Titles 18 (Crimes) & 42 (Judiciary) defining the offense of unlawful dissemination of an intimate image as a person disseminating the intimate image with intent to cause


The Senate Judiciary Committee met June 17, 2014 and reported the following bills out of committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 1422 (Tomlinson): Amends Title 42 in particular rights and immunities, providing for successor business entity liability.

House Bill 1772 (Harper): Amends the Deputy Sheriffs’ Education and Training Act, to include elected and appointed sheriffs and to provide for their training, and to provide for revocation of certification for deputy sheriffs and sheriffs.

House Bill 1925 (Readshaw): Amends Title 20 in ownership of property, legal title and equitable estate, further providing for right to dispose of a decedent’s remains.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met Tuesday June 10, 2014 and reported the following bills out of committee:

As Committed

House Bill 1090 (Youngblood): Amends Titles 18 & 23 further providing for protective custody of newborn children in the areas of criminal liability, child protective services and newborn protection.

House Bill 2026 (Maher): Amends Title 18 further providing for grading of offense relating to police animals.

As Amended

House Bill 1426 (Keller): Amends Title 20 further providing for general provisions and for special rules for gifts; providing for agent’s duties and for principles of law and equity; further providing for form of power of attorney, for implementation of power of attorney and for liability; providing for liability for refusal to accept power of attorney and for activities through employees; and further providing for validity.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met on May 6, 2014 and reported out the following:

As Committed

SB 1341 (Greenleaf) – Consolidates several statutes into Title 44 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to be be known as the Law and Justice Code.

HB 112 (Vereb) – Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to provide for the offense of sexual assault by sports official, volunteer or employee of nonprofit association.

As Amended

SB 621 (Greenleaf) – Makes omnibus amendments to the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code and Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met April 8, 2014 and reported the following out of Committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 705 (Blake): Amends Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for establishment.

Senate Bill 1335 (Gordner): Aments Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in county correctional institutions, further providing for board meetings

Senate Resolution 304 (Greenleaf): A Resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish an advisory committee to conduct a study of the Juvenile Act and related issues

As Amended

Senate Bill 979 (Greenleaf): An Act establishing the Pennsylvania Center for Effective Indigent Defense Legal Representation; providing for its duties and responsibilities; and making an appropriation


The Senate Judiciary Committee met Monday, March 10, 2014 and reported the following bills out of committee:

As Committed

House Bill 1053 (Grell): An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in judicial boards and commissions, authorizing the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners to obtain criminal history record checks.

House Bill 1985 (Marsico): An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in registration of sex offenders, further providing for legislative findings and declaration of policy, for definitions, for applicability, for sexual offenses and tier system, for period of registration and for assessments


The Senate Judiciary Committee met Tuesday, January 28, 2014 and reported the following bills from Committee:

As Amended

Senate Bill 1016 (Boscola): Amends Title 42 providing for State income tax intercept.

Senate Bill 1017 (Boscola): Amends Title 42 providing for lottery winnings intercept.

As Committed

House Bill 21 (Grell): Amends the Mental Health Procedures Act regarding incompetency examinations in criminal cases


The Senate Judiciary Committee met January 14, 2014 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 149 (Greenleaf): This bill regulates bail bond enforcement agents; requiring licensure and registration; and providing for penalties.

Senate Bill 908 (Waugh): This bill amends the Deputy Sheriffs’ Education and Training Act, 1984 Act 2, so that the provisions of the act apply to elected and appointed sheriffs.

Senate Bill 1158 (Robbins): This bill amends the Deputy Sheriffs’ Education and Training Act, 1984 Act 2, so that the provisions of the act apply to elected and appointed sheriffs.

As Amended

Senate Bill 1167 (Schwank): This bill amends the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adding the offense of intimate partner harassment.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met December 3, 2013 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 1055 (Solobay): This bill amends section 6305 of the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to prohibit the sale of alternative nicotine products (e-cigarettes) to any minor.

Senate Bill 1164 (Pileggi): This bill amends The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, 1972 Act 64, to add a section providing for drug overdose response immunity.

Senate Bill 1197  (Greenleaf): This bill amends the Crimes Code, Title 18, and the Judicial Code, Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to make changes affecting Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice system.

As Amended

House Bill 414 (O’Neil): Provides that, in a custody proceeding, the court shall consider whether the child has been identified as an abused child and whether a party has been identified as a perpetrator of child abuse.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met November 19, 2013 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 1168 (Greenleaf): This bill amends §5704 of the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to expand the exception in the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act for recording devices mounted in a law enforcement officer’s vehicle to include mobile devices carried or worn by the officer.

House Bill 1201 (Barbin): Amends Title 42 (Judicial Code) in order to update the names of the licensing boards listed within the definition of “state board,” and to provide that a person who is a minor at the time of the commission of a criminal offense involving physical or sexual abuse may have his name withheld from the public domain even if the person is an adult at the time of prosecution.

House Bill 1274 (Farry): Amends Title 42 (Judicial Code) relating to criminal laboratory user fees.

House Bill 1504 (Caltigorone): Amends the Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Act and the Judicial Code in order to provide that municipal police officers and magisterial district judges receive training regarding those suffering from mental illness.

As Amended

Senate Bill 850 (Greenleaf): This bill amends the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code, Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to update and revise the law relating to organ and tissue donations.

House Bill 321 (Toepl): Amends the Judicial Code (Title 42) to provide a sentencing enhancement for offenses involving child pornography and amends the Crimes Code (Title 18) to clarify language regarding “second or subsequent offense.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met October 22, 2013 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

House Bill 27 (Marsico): Protects abused persons who have filed a protection from abuse order by increasing the grading one degree for harassment if the defendant is in violation of the PFA.

House Bill 714 (Baker): Amends the identity theft statute to enhance the grading of the offense one degree if the victim is an individual under 18 years of age.

House Bill 1356 (Stephens): Extends the sunset date of Crimes Code Chapter 57, relating to Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance.

House Bill 1594 (Regan): Amends the Crimes Code to increase penalties for luring a young child into a motor vehicle or structure.

As Amended

House Bill 764 (Watson): Amends Title 18 (Crimes Code) and Title 42 (Judicial Code) regarding Online Impersonation.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met and reported the following legislation out of Committee:

As Amended
Senate Bill 28
(Browne): Addressed the recommendations made by the Task Force on Child Protection established by SR 250, by amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to comprehensively strengthen Pennsylvania’s child abuse laws.

As Committed
Senate Bill 863 (Dinniman): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the offense of cruelty to animals

Senate Bill 984 (Alloway): Enhances the capacity of the Pennsylvania Board of Law Examiners to check the backgrounds of individuals applying for admittance to the Pennsylvania Bar

Senate Bill 1024 (Rafferty): Creates a sentencing enhancement for the most serious Arson offenses and creates the new offense of Aggravated Arson.

House Bill 79 (Harper): Amends the PA Constitution to provide for an increase in the mandatory retirement age for justices, judges and justices of the peace, from 70 years to 75 years.

House Bill 164 (Stephens): Amends Title 18 (Crimes Code) regarding animal fighting paraphernalia

House Bill 1337 (Toohil): Amends the Judicial Code in order to provide an additional dollar to the Access to Justice Account, the fund which provides money to the PA Legal Aid Network (PLAN).


The Senate Judiciary Committee met June 18, 2013 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

House Bill 22 (Grell): Amends the Uniform Commercial Code, Title 13 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, relating to fund transfers and the applicability of the federal Electronic Fund Transfer Act.

House Bill 513 (Stevenson):Amends the Probate, Estates and Fiduciaries Code, Title 20 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, relating to small estates, to increase the limit for small estates from $25,000 to $50,000.

House Bill 1217 (Stern): Amends §4(1) of The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, 1972 Act 64, relating toprohibiting “bath salts” and synthetic marijuana


The Senate Judiciary Committee met June 11, 2013 and reported the following bills out of Committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 57 (Alloway): Amends §5704 of the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to provide an exception under the Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Control Act for the interception of oral communications on a school bus or a school vehicle.

Senate Bill 883: (Greenleaf): The bill amends the Crimes Code, Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, to add a section making it a crime to falsely impersonate a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor.

House Bill 25 (Grell):Amends Title 42 (Judicial Code) and Title 57 (Notaries Public) in order to update the law regarding declarations and notaries public.

As Amended

Senate Bill 128 (Greenleaf): Establishes the Criminal Justice and Mental Health Reinvestment Program; and providing for the powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

House Bill 82 (Ellis): Creates the Costs of Care of Seized Animals Act and provides for the owners of animals to still maintain responsibility for costs if the animals are duly seized on a Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) cruelty to animals charge


The Senate Judiciary Committee met Tuesday, April 30, 2013 and reported the following bills out of committee:

As Committed

Senate Bill 688 (Waugh): Amends Title 18 defining the offense of theft of secondary metal; and prescribing penalties

Senate Bill 835 (Browne): Amends Title 42 further providing for death action.

Senate Bill 865 (Gordner): Amends The Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act, further providing for penalties involving liquefied ammonia gas, precursors and chemicals

Senate Bill 867 (Greenleaf): Amends Title 18 in wiretapping and electronic surveillance, further providing for expiration of chapter


The Senate Judiciary Committee met April 9, 2013 and reported the following bills unanimously:

As Committed

Senate Bill 689 (Corman): Amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for prevention of abduction of children.

Senate Bill 731 (Rafferty): Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the offense of retail theft

Senate Bill 777 (Browne): Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for interagency information sharing

As Amended

House Bill 492 (Lentz): Amends the Crime Victims Act, further providing for petitions to deny parole upon expiration of minimum sentence


The Senate Judiciary Committee met March 19, 2013 and reported out the following bills:

As Committed

Senate Bill 372 (Smith): Amends Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, expanding the authorized methods for recording and storing judicial records.

Senate Bill 681 (Greenleaf): Creates the Sexual Violence Victim Protection Act.

As Amended

Senate Bill 508 (Baker): Amends the Crime Victims Act, 1998 Act 111, to permit a victim or victim’s representative to provide testimony before the person or body making the parole release decision.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met March 12, 2013 and reported the following bills:

As Committed

Senate Bill 419 (Gordner): Amends the “An act to validate conveyances and other instruments which have been defectively acknowledged,” extending the date for validation of certain conveyances and other instruments. The bill was reported out unanimously.

Senate Bill 429 (Costa): Amends Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for payments to family and funeral directors. The bill was reported out unanimously.

As Amended

Senate Bill 620 (Greenleaf): Amends Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in powers of attorney, further providing for general provisions and for special rules for gifts; providing for agent’s duties and for principles of law and equity; further providing for form of power of attorney, for implementation of power of attorney and for liability; providing for liability for refusal to accept power of attorney and for activities through employees; and further providing for validity. The amendment was technical in nature. The bill was reported out unanimously.


The Senate Judiciary Committee met Tuesday, February 12, 2013 and reported the following bills out of committee.

As Committed

Senate Bill 117 (Greenleaf): Amends Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in orphans’ court divisions, further providing for appointment and purpose and for compensation; and, in incapacitated persons, providing for venue and for confidentiality and disclosure of information; further providing for petition and hearing and independent evaluation; repealing provisions relating to county of appointment and qualifications; further providing for review hearing; providing for affidavit in uncontested termination matters and for counsel; further providing for emergency guardian; repealing provisions relating to provisions similar to other estates; providing for removal and discharge of guardian, for appointment of guardian in conveyance and for bond; further providing for evidence of incapacity, for cross-examination of witnesses and for provisions concerning powers, duties and liabilities; further providing for when accounting filed, for distributions of income and principal during incapacity and for guardianship services.

Senate Bill 428 (Costa): Amends Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for pooled trusts for persons with disabilities.

As Amended

Senate Bill 340 (Alloway): Amends Title 12 (Commerce and Trade) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, prohibiting the sale of shark fins; and imposing a penalty.

Senate Bill 391 (Solobay): Amends Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for expungement of criminal history record


The Senate Judiciary Committee met January 29, 2013 and reported the following bills out of committee

As Committed

Senate Bill 75 (Greenleaf): Amends Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, extensively revising the law on human trafficking in the areas of prosecution, prevention, victim protection, evidentiary confidentiality, limitation of actions and victim impact statements; and making editorial changes.

Senate Bill 304 (Greenleaf): Amends Titles 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations) and 54 (Names) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Title 15, making extensive revisions, additions and deletions to preliminary material on general provisions; to corporation material on general provisions, on incorporation, on corporate powers, duties and safeguards, on officers, directors and shareholders, on fundamental changes, on registered corporations, on insurance corporations, on benefit corporations, on foreign business corporations, on incorporation and on foreign nonprofit corporations; to material on limited liability companies; to material on unincorporated associations; and to material on business trusts; in Title 54, further providing for general provisions and for corporate and other association names; and making related repeals.

As Amended

Senate Bill 150 (Pileggi): Amends Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in DNA data and testing, further providing for policy, for definitions, for powers and duties of State Police, for State DNA Data Base, for State DNA Data Bank, for State Police recommendation of additional offenses, for procedural compatibility with FBI and for DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases; providing for collection from persons accepted from other jurisdictions; further providing for procedures for withdrawal, collection and transmission of DNA samples, for procedures for conduct, disposition and use of DNA analysis; providing for request for modified DNA search; and further providing for DNA data base exchange, for expungement and for mandatory cost


The Senate Judiciary Committee met January 23, 2013 and reported the following Resolution unanimously:

As Committed

Senate Resolution 6 (Greenleaf): Directing the Joint State Government Commission to study the issue of violence prevention, to establish an advisory committee to conduct a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the underlying causes of violent crime, including mass shootings, and to report to the Senate with its findings and recommendations.