HB 1360 — An Act requiring persons convicted of arson and related offenses to register with local authorities; providing for duties of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Parole Board; and imposing a penalty.

PRINTER'S NO.    1547

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 1360
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY CONKLIN, PIELLI, HILL-EVANS, HARKINS AND GREEN,
        APRIL 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 30, 2025


                                   AN ACT
 1   Requiring persons convicted of arson and related offenses to
 2      register with local authorities; providing for duties of the
 3      Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Parole Board;
 4      and imposing a penalty.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7   Section 1.   Short title.
 8      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Convicted
 9   Arsonist Registry Act.
10   Section 2.   Findings.
11      The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
12          (1)   Following a first arson or related offense,
13      convicted arsonists continue to commit these violent crimes.
14          (2)   In an effort to stymie future offenses, a database
15      of convicted arsonists needs to be maintained. Requiring
16      registration will assist in criminal investigation and
17      prevention.
18          (3)   The registry should be available to local
19      authorities.
 1            (4)   Other databases, including the sex offender
 2      registries, serve to protect the public and the same benefit
 3      is expected for an arsonist registry.
 4   Section 3.     Definitions.
 5      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
 6   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 7   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 8      "Convicted arsonist."        An individual who has been:
 9            (1)   Convicted or adjudicated delinquent for a violation
10      of 18 Pa.C.S. § 3301(a), (c), (d) or (f) (relating to arson
11      and related offenses) or an equivalent offense under Federal
12      law or the law of another jurisdiction.
13            (2)   Convicted of an attempt to commit an offense under
14      paragraph (1).
15      "Delinquent child."        As defined in 42 Pa.C.S. § 6302
16   (relating to definitions).
17   Section 4.     Registration required.
18      (a)   Duration of registration.--
19            (1)   Except as provided under paragraph (2), a convicted
20      arsonist is subject to lifetime registration in the manner
21      prescribed by this section.
22            (2)   A convicted arsonist who is a delinquent child is
23      subject to registration in accordance with this act until the
24      convicted arsonist has attained 25 years of age, at which
25      time all records related to the registration of the convicted
26      arsonist shall be destroyed.
27      (b)   Information to be provided.--A registration shall
28   consist, at a minimum, of the convicted arsonist's:
29            (1)   Name.
30            (2)   Social Security number.

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 1            (3)   All current or intended residences and all
 2      information concerning current or intended enrollment as a
 3      student.
 4            (4)   Photographs and fingerprinting in accordance with
 5      section 6.
 6      (c)   Procedure.--
 7            (1)   A convicted arsonist shall register with the
 8      Pennsylvania State Police:
 9                  (i)    within 14 days of release from incarceration;
10                  (ii)    upon parole from a State or county correctional
11            institution or the commencement of a sentence of
12            intermediate punishment or probation; or
13                  (iii)    if the conviction occurred in another
14            jurisdiction, within 14 days of arrival in this
15            Commonwealth.
16            (2)   A convicted arsonist shall inform the Pennsylvania
17      State Police of:
18                  (i)    A change of residence or establishment of an
19            additional residence.
20                  (ii)    A change of institution or location at which
21            the convicted arsonist is enrolled as a student or
22            termination of enrollment.
23                  (iii)    Enrollment as a student, if the convicted
24            arsonist has not previously provided that information to
25            the Pennsylvania State Police.
26   Section 5.     Registration information to local authorities.
27      (a)   Duty to provide.--
28            (1)   The Pennsylvania State Police shall provide the
29      information obtained under section 4 to the fire chiefs and
30      the chief law enforcement officers of the police departments

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 1      of the municipalities in which a convicted arsonist will
 2      reside or be enrolled as a student.
 3            (2)   The Pennsylvania State Police shall provide the fire
 4      chiefs and the chief law enforcement officers with the
 5      address at which a convicted arsonist will reside or be
 6      enrolled as a student following the convicted arsonist's
 7      release from incarceration, parole or probation.
 8      (b)   Notice of failure to comply.--The Pennsylvania State
 9   Police shall provide notice to the fire chiefs and the chief law
10   enforcement officers of the police departments of the
11   municipalities notified under subsection (a) when a convicted
12   arsonist fails to comply with the registration requirements of
13   this act and request, as appropriate, that the police
14   departments assist in locating and apprehending the convicted
15   arsonist.
16      (c)   Additional notice requirement.--The Pennsylvania State
17   Police shall provide notice to the fire chiefs and the chief law
18   enforcement officers of the police departments of the
19   municipalities notified under subsection (a) when the
20   Pennsylvania State Police is in receipt of information
21   indicating the individual will no longer reside or be enrolled
22   as a student in the municipality.
23   Section 6.     Photographs and fingerprinting.
24      A convicted arsonist shall register and submit to
25   fingerprinting and photographing as required by this act at
26   approved registration sites. Fingerprinting shall, at a minimum,
27   require submission of a full set of fingerprints. Photographing
28   shall, at a minimum, require submission to photographs of the
29   face and any scars, marks, tattoos or other unique features of
30   the convicted arsonist.

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 1   Section 7.     Penalty.
 2      A convicted arsonist who fails to register with the
 3   Pennsylvania State Police as required under this act commits a
 4   misdemeanor of the third degree.
 5   Section 8.     Sentencing court information.
 6      The sentencing court shall inform a convicted arsonist at the
 7   time of sentencing of the provisions of this act. The court
 8   shall:
 9            (1)   Specifically inform the convicted arsonist of the
10      duty to register and provide the information required for
11      each registration.
12            (2)   Specifically inform the convicted arsonist of the
13      duty to inform the Pennsylvania State Police within 14 days
14      if the convicted arsonist changes residence, establishes an
15      additional residence or changes the institution or location
16      at which the convicted arsonist is enrolled as a student or
17      terminates enrollment.
18            (3)   Specifically inform the convicted arsonist of the
19      duty to inform the Pennsylvania State Police within 14 days
20      of becoming enrolled as a student if the convicted arsonist
21      has not previously provided that information to the
22      Pennsylvania State Police.
23            (4)   Order the fingerprints and photographs of the
24      convicted arsonist to be provided to the Pennsylvania State
25      Police upon sentencing.
26            (5)   Order the convicted arsonist to sign a form stating
27      that the duty to register under this act has been explained.
28   Section 9.     Duties of Pennsylvania State Police.
29      The Pennsylvania State Police shall:
30            (1)   Establish and maintain a State registry of convicted

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 1      arsonists.
 2          (2)    In consultation with the Department of Corrections,
 3      the Office of Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Parole
 4      Board, promulgate guidelines necessary for the general
 5      administration of this act. The guidelines shall establish
 6      procedures to allow convicted arsonists to fulfill these
 7      requirements at approved registration sites throughout this
 8      Commonwealth. The Pennsylvania State Police shall transmit a
 9      list of approved registration sites to the Legislative
10      Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue
11      of the Pennsylvania Bulletin and provide a list of approved
12      registration sites in any notice sent to convicted arsonists.
13          (3)    Notify, within five days of receiving a convicted
14      arsonist's registration, the fire chief and the chief law
15      enforcement officer of the police department having primary
16      jurisdiction of the municipalities in which the convicted
17      arsonist resides or is enrolled as a student of the fact that
18      the convicted arsonist has been registered with the
19      Pennsylvania State Police under this act.
20   Section 10.    Duties of Pennsylvania Parole Board.
21      The Pennsylvania Parole Board shall:
22          (1)    Develop a notification form to inform State and
23      county prison and probation and parole personnel how to
24      inform a convicted arsonist of the convicted arsonist's
25      duties under this act.
26          (2)    In cooperation with the Department of Corrections
27      and other Commonwealth agencies, obtain the following
28      information regarding a convicted arsonist:
29                 (i)    Name, including any aliases.
30                 (ii)    Identifying factors.

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 1                 (iii)    Anticipated future residence.
 2                 (iv)    Offense history.
 3                 (v)    Photograph of the convicted arsonist.
 4          (3)    Immediately transmit the information under paragraph
 5      (2) to the Pennsylvania State Police for immediate entry into
 6      the State registry of convicted arsonists.
 7   Section 11.    Availability of registration information.
 8      The registration information obtained under this act shall
 9   not be open to inspection by the public or by any person other
10   than a law enforcement officer, fire chief or individual charged
11   with the investigation of a fire.
12   Section 12.    Applicability.
13      This act shall apply to individuals convicted or adjudicated
14   delinquent on or after the effective date of this section for an
15   offense requiring registration under this act.
16   Section 13.    Effective date.
17      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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