HB 1324 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense of bullying.

PRINTER'S NO.   1516

                         THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                             HOUSE BILL
                             No. 1324
                                                    Session of
                                                      2025

     INTRODUCED BY MULLINS, ECKER, MARKOSEK, GIRAL, GUZMAN,
        M. MACKENZIE, SANCHEZ, STEELE, DONAHUE, HILL-EVANS, McNEILL,
        HARKINS, GALLAGHER, HANBIDGE, MERSKI, CERRATO, NEILSON AND
        CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, 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 assault, providing for the offense
 3      of bullying.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6         Section 1.      Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 2709.2.         Bullying.
 9         (a)   Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of
10   bullying when the person commits a defined crime with the intent
11   to:
12               (1)    harass, annoy, alarm or intimidate another
13         individual or group of individuals; or
14               (2)    place another individual or group of individuals in
15         fear of bodily injury or property damage.
16         (b)   Grading.--
17               (1)    An offense under this section shall be classified as
 1      a misdemeanor of the third degree if the defined crime is
 2      classified as a summary offense.
 3            (2)   Except as provided under paragraph (1), the
 4      following shall apply:
 5                  (i)    An offense under this section shall be
 6            classified one degree higher in the classification
 7            specified in section 106 (relating to classes of
 8            offenses) than the classification of the defined crime.
 9                  (ii)    The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing, in
10            accordance with 42 Pa.C.S. § 2154 (relating to adoption
11            of guidelines for sentencing), shall provide for
12            sentencing enhancements for cases in which the defined
13            crime is classified at the highest degree.
14      (c)   False report.--A person who knowingly gives false
15   information to a law enforcement officer with the intent to
16   implicate a person under this section commits an offense under
17   section 4906 (relating to false reports to law enforcement
18   authorities).
19      (d)   Venue.--
20            (1)   An offense committed under this section may be
21      deemed to have been committed at the place where the
22      communications or actions were made or received.
23            (2)   Acts indicating a course of conduct that occur in
24      more than one jurisdiction may be used by any other
25      jurisdiction in which an act occurred as evidence of a
26      continuing pattern of conduct or a course of conduct.
27      (e)   Application of section.--This section shall not apply to
28   conduct by a party to a labor dispute as defined in the act of
29   June 2, 1937 (P.L.1198, No.308), known as the Labor Anti-
30   Injunction Act, or to any constitutionally protected activity.

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 1      (f)   Definition.--As used in this section, the term "defined
 2   crime" means an offense under any of the following:
 3            (1)   Chapter 27 (relating to assault), exclusive of
 4      sections 2709 (relating to harassment) and 2709.1 (relating
 5      to stalking).
 6            (2)   Chapter 33 (relating to arson, criminal mischief and
 7      other property destruction), exclusive of section 3307
 8      (relating to institutional vandalism).
 9            (3)   Chapter 35 (relating to burglary and other criminal
10      intrusion), exclusive of section 3503 (relating to criminal
11      trespass).
12            (4)   Chapter 41 (relating to forgery and fraudulent
13      practices).
14            (5)   Section 5503 (relating to disorderly conduct).
15            (6)   Chapter 57 (relating to wiretapping and electronic
16      surveillance).
17            (7)   Section 7507.1 (relating to invasion of privacy).
18            (8)   Chapter 76 (relating to computer offenses).
19      Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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