HB 568 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous articles, providing for gun violence task forces.

PRINTER'S NO.   572

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 568
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, GIRAL, HANBIDGE, BOROWSKI, KHAN, SANCHEZ,
        DONAHUE, HILL-EVANS, FRANKEL, SCHLOSSBERG, OTTEN, GREEN,
        WARREN AND BRENNAN, FEBRUARY 12, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in firearms and other dangerous
 3      articles, providing for gun violence task forces.
 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   § 6129.    Gun violence task forces.
 9      (a)    Establishment.--
10             (1)   Upon written request initiated by the district
11      attorney of a county to the Attorney General, a gun violence
12      task force may be established in the county.
13             (2)   The district attorney may terminate the gun violence
14      task force by providing written notice to the Attorney
15      General. Absent notice under this paragraph, the gun violence
16      task force shall terminate as otherwise provided in this
17      section.
18             (3)   A gun violence task force shall operate under the
 1      authority of the Attorney General.
 2      (b)   Powers and duties.--A gun violence task force:
 3            (1)   Shall investigate violations of sections 6105
 4      (relating to persons not to possess, use, manufacture,
 5      control, sell or transfer firearms) and 6111 (relating to
 6      sale or transfer of firearms), and similar offenses under
 7      Federal law, in the county in which the task force is
 8      established.
 9            (2)   May recommend to the Attorney General to prosecute
10      violations under paragraph (1).
11            (3)   May utilize investigatory teams impaneled under
12      subsection (d).
13      (c)   Composition.--A gun violence task force may, as
14   determined by the Attorney General, include:
15            (1)   The Attorney General, deputy attorneys general and
16      agents of the Office of the Attorney General.
17            (2)   Members of the office of the district attorney in a
18      county.
19            (3)   Federal, State and local law enforcement officers.
20            (4)   Representatives of key stakeholders in communities
21      that are experiencing high and increasing rates of gun
22      violence.
23            (5)   Faith leaders who work with communities experiencing
24      high rates of gun violence.
25            (6)   A community relations officer who represents a
26      community experiencing high rates of gun violence.
27            (7)   A victim of crime who works in neighborhoods
28      experiencing high rates of gun violence.
29            (8)   An expert in preventive crime measures who has
30      advised on crime-reduction techniques.

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 1      (d)   Investigatory teams.--In a county where a gun violence
 2   task force has been established, the Attorney General may
 3   impanel individualized investigatory teams that work in
 4   conjunction with and under the purview of a gun violence task
 5   force.
 6      (e)   Notice.--Each law enforcement agency that is a member of
 7   a gun violence task force shall notify the gun violence task
 8   force of any arrest or other criminal action or proceeding for
 9   violations under subsection (b)(1) within 48 hours of the arrest
10   or of instituting the action or proceeding.
11      (f)   Authority to prosecute for certain offenses.--
12            (1)   Except as provided in paragraph (3), in a county in
13      which a gun violence task force has been established under
14      this section, the Attorney General may prosecute any criminal
15      action or proceeding, including a proceeding for the
16      forfeiture or condemnation of property under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch.
17      58 (relating to forfeiture of assets), for violations under
18      subsection (b)(1).
19            (2)   In deciding whether to prosecute under this
20      subsection, the Attorney General shall consider the totality
21      of the circumstances, including:
22                  (i)    Whether the alleged violation of section 6105 or
23            6111 is the lead charge and the severity of any other
24            offense charged in conjunction with the alleged violation
25            of section 6105 or 6111.
26                  (ii)    The criminal history record information of the
27            alleged offender, including whether the offender was
28            previously convicted of an offense under this chapter.
29                  (iii)   Whether a gun violence task force recommended
30            prosecution under subsection (b)(2).

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 1              (iv)    Whether the Attorney General has sufficient
 2        resources to prosecute the alleged offender.
 3              (v)    Whether the alleged offender utilized a firearm
 4        during the commission of a felony.
 5              (vi)    Whether the alleged offender is involved or
 6        associated with the sale, manufacture, distribution or
 7        delivery of any controlled substance or counterfeit
 8        controlled substance in violation of the act of April 14,
 9        1972 (P.L.233, No.64), known as The Controlled Substance,
10        Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act.
11              (vii)    The impact of the alleged offense on the
12        victim or the community.
13              (viii)    Whether the alleged offender's commission of
14        the offense violated the terms and conditions of a
15        sentence or bail bond.
16              (ix)    Any other relevant or aggravating
17        circumstances.
18        (3)   The Attorney General may not prosecute under this
19    section if the alleged offender unlawfully possessed a
20    firearm during the commission of murder or a crime of
21    violence, as that term is defined in 42 Pa.C.S. § 9714(g)
22    (relating to sentences for second and subsequent offenses),
23    unless the district attorney requests in writing that the
24    Attorney General prosecute the case.
25        (4)   In a case in which the Attorney General exercises
26    the authority to prosecute under this section, no other
27    prosecuting entity for the Commonwealth shall have authority
28    to act, except as authorized by the Attorney General. No
29    person shall have standing to challenge the authority of the
30    Attorney General to prosecute the cases, and, if any

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 1    challenge is made, the challenge shall be dismissed and no
 2    relief shall be available in the courts of this Commonwealth
 3    to the prosecuting entity making the challenge.
 4          (5)   The provisions of this subsection shall expire
 5    December 31, 2027.
 6    (g)   Annual reports.--
 7          (1)   By October 1 of each year, the Attorney General
 8    shall make an annual report on the operation of gun violence
 9    task forces to:
10                (i)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
11          Appropriations Committee of the Senate.
12                (ii)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
13          Appropriations Committee of the House of Representatives.
14                (iii)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of
15          the Judiciary Committee of the Senate.
16                (iv)    The chairperson and minority chairperson of the
17          Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives.
18          (2)   The report under this subsection shall contain the
19    following information for the previous fiscal year regarding
20    each gun violence task force:
21                (i)    The number of members, per agency, serving on
22          the gun violence task force.
23                (ii)    The total number of arrests in a county for
24          alleged violations of section 6105 or 6111, including
25          separately the total number of arrests by the gun
26          violence task force.
27                (iii)    The total number of bills of information filed
28          for alleged violations of section 6105 or 6111, including
29          separately the total number of bills filed by the
30          Attorney General under this section.

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 1             (iv)    The total number of convictions resulting from
 2        prosecutions under subparagraph (iii), including
 3        separately the total number of convictions resulting from
 4        prosecutions by the Attorney General under this section.
 5             (v)    The sentences imposed for each conviction under
 6        subparagraph (iv), including separately the sentences
 7        imposed for each conviction resulting from a prosecution
 8        by the Attorney General under this section.
 9             (vi)    The number of firearms seized by the gun
10        violence task force.
11             (vii)    A summary of expenditures, including any money
12        appropriated for the gun violence task force in a
13        previous year that is carried over or unspent.
14    Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 90 days.




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