HB 1170 — An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general administration relating to correctional institutions, providing for electronic control gloves.

PRINTER'S NO.   1307

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 1170
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY RYNCAVAGE, PICKETT, LEADBETER, PIELLI, ROAE,
        CIRESI, KEPHART, BRENNAN, DELLOSO, ROWE, RADER, HOGAN, IRVIN,
        PUGH, OWLETT, TOMLINSON, KUTZ, M. BROWN, E. NELSON, VENKAT,
        WATRO, SMITH, McNEILL, MARCELL, C. WILLIAMS, OLSOMMER,
        BERNSTINE, METZGAR AND KAUFFMAN, APRIL 9, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 9, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in general administration relating to
 3      correctional institutions, providing for electronic control
 4      gloves.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.     Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 1107.    Electronic control gloves.
10      (a)     General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the
11   department may issue electronic control gloves to a corrections
12   officer.
13      (b)     Exception.--The department shall issue electronic
14   control gloves to a corrections officer who is assigned to any
15   unit that houses inmates who:
16             (1)   received disciplinary sanctions; and
17             (2)   are segregated from the general inmate population.
 1      (c)   Policies.--The department shall establish written
 2   policies, which shall be public, regarding the proper use,
 3   training, maintenance and storage of electronic control gloves
 4   issued to corrections officers.
 5      (d)   Training.--The department may not issue electronic
 6   control gloves to a corrections officer under this section until
 7   the corrections officer has received training on the proper use
 8   of the electronic control gloves in a course approved by the
 9   department.
10      (e)   Compliance.--A corrections officer who is issued
11   electronic control gloves under this section shall comply with
12   the guidelines established under 18 Pa.C.S. § 508 (relating to
13   use of force in law enforcement) and the written policies
14   established under subsection (c).
15      (f)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
16   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
17   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
18      "Electronic control gloves."     Gloves equipped with electrodes
19   in the finger pads or palm that emit less than 500 volts of
20   electricity and are designed or intended by the manufacturer to
21   be used, offensively or defensively, to temporarily immobilize,
22   restrain or control an individual.
23      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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