HB 1311 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to offenses involving danger to the person, further providing for definitions.

PRINTER'S NO.   1504

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1311
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, KINKEAD, WAXMAN, GUENST,
        VENKAT, PIELLI, KENYATTA, KHAN, MALAGARI, GIRAL, BENHAM,
        BRENNAN, HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD, SALISBURY, CIRESI, DALEY, GREEN,
        MADDEN, CERRATO, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MAYES AND BOROWSKI,
        APRIL 28, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 28, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to
 3      offenses involving danger to the person, further providing
 4      for definitions.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    The definition of "serious provocation" in
 8   section 2301 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 9   Statutes is amended to read:
10   § 2301.    Definitions.
11      Subject to additional definitions contained in subsequent
12   provisions of this article which are applicable to specific
13   chapters or other provisions of this article, the following
14   words and phrases, when used in this article shall have, unless
15   the context clearly indicates otherwise, the meanings given to
16   them in this section:
17      * * *
1      "Serious provocation."   Conduct sufficient to excite an
2   intense passion in a reasonable person. The term does not
3   include the discovery, knowledge or potential disclosure of a
4   victim's actual or perceived gender identity or expression or
5   sexual orientation, including circumstances in which the victim
6   made an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward
7   the defendant or if the defendant and victim had a romantic or
8   sexual relationship.
9      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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