HB 239 — An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in governance of the system, further providing for costs; in budget and finance, further providing for Commonwealth portion of fines, etc; and, in facilities and supplies, further providing for deposits into account.

PRINTER'S NO.   191

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                             HOUSE BILL
                             No. 239
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, ARMANINI, BERNSTINE, HAMM, M. JONES,
        KENYATTA, PICKETT, ROWE, SMITH, STENDER AND MADDEN,
        JANUARY 22, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JANUARY 22, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
 2      Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in governance of the
 3      system, further providing for costs; in budget and finance,
 4      further providing for Commonwealth portion of fines, etc;
 5      and, in facilities and supplies, further providing for
 6      deposits into account.
 7      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 8   hereby enacts as follows:
 9      Section 1.      Sections 1725.1(b) and 3571(c)(2) of Title 42 of
10   the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
11   § 1725.1.      Costs.
12      * * *
13      (b)   Criminal cases.--Subject to subsection (f), the costs to
14   be charged by the minor judiciary or by the court of common
15   pleas where appropriate in every criminal case, except as
16   otherwise provided in this section, shall be as follows:
17            (1)    Summary conviction, except motor
18      vehicle cases..................................             $28.50
19            [(2)    Summary conviction, motor vehicles
 1             cases, other than paragraph (3)............         $22.50]
 2             (3)   Summary conviction, motor vehicle
 3      cases, hearing demanded........................            $27.50
 4             (4)   Misdemeanor...........................        $32.50
 5             (5)   Felony................................        $37.50
 6   Such costs shall include all charges including the costs of
 7   giving a magisterial district judge's transcript to the
 8   prosecutor or defendant, or both, if requested. Such costs shall
 9   not include, however, the cost of postage and registered mail
10   which shall be paid by the defendant upon conviction.
11      * * *
12   § 3571.    Commonwealth portion of fines, etc.
13      * * *
14      (c)    Costs in magisterial district judge proceedings.--
15             * * *
16             (2)   Amounts payable to the Commonwealth:
17                   (i)    Summary conviction, except motor
18             vehicle cases..............................          $10.00
19                   [(ii)    Summary conviction, motor
20             vehicle cases other than subparagraph (iii)         $10.00]
21                   (iii)    Summary conviction, motor
22             vehicle cases, hearing demanded............          $10.00
23                   (iv)    Misdemeanor......................      $13.00
24                   (v)    Felony............................      $20.00
25                   (vi)    Assumpsit or trespass involving:
26                          (A)   $500 or less..................    $12.50
27                          (B)   More than $500 but not more
28                   than $2,000............................        $20.00
29                          (C)   More than $2,000 but not more
30                   than $4,000............................        $30.00

20250HB0239PN0191                          - 2 -
 1                        (D)    More than $4,000 but not more
 2                 than $12,000...........................             $50.00
 3                 (vii)    Landlord-tenant proceeding
 4             involving:
 5                        (A)    $2,000 or less................        $20.00
 6                        (B)    More than $2,000 but not more
 7                 than $4,000............................             $25.00
 8                        (C)    More than $4,000 but not more
 9                 than $12,000...........................             $35.00
10                 (viii)       Objection to levy..............        $5.00
11                 (ix)     Order of execution...............          $15.00
12                 (x)    Issuing a search warrant (except
13             as provided in section 1725.1(d) (relating
14             to costs)).................................             $7.00
15                 (xi)     Order of possession..............          $15.00
16             * * *
17      Section 2.       Section 3733(a.1) of Title 42 is amended by
18   adding a paragraph to read:
19   § 3733.    Deposits into account.
20      * * *
21      (a.1)    Additional fees.--
22             * * *
23             (1.1)   Paragraph (1) does not apply to a conviction or
24      guilty plea based on the filing of a traffic citation
25      charging an offense under 75 Pa.C.S. (relating to vehicles)
26      that is classified as a summary offense under a State statute
27      or local ordinance as provided in the Pennsylvania Rules of
28      Criminal Procedure.
29             * * *
30      Section 3.       This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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