HB 627 — An Act amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274), referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Law, providing for Public Safety Resident Communications Pilot Program.

PRINTER'S NO.   638

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 627
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, HILL-EVANS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, CERRATO AND
        SANCHEZ, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
        FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
 2      entitled "An act establishing the Pennsylvania Commission on
 3      Crime and Delinquency, providing for its powers and duties
 4      establishing several advisory committees within the
 5      commission and providing for their powers and duties,"
 6      providing for Public Safety Resident Communications Pilot
 7      Program.
 8      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 9   hereby enacts as follows:
10      Section 1.    The act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
11   referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
12   Delinquency Law, is amended by adding a section to read:
13   Section 7.3.    Public Safety Resident Communications Pilot
14               Program.
15      (a)   Establishment.--The Public Safety Resident
16   Communications Pilot Program is established in the commission.
17      (b)   Administration.--The program shall provide grants to law
18   enforcement agencies to support the purchase and implementation
19   of community engagement software to the extent funding is made
20   available to the program.
 1      (c)   Applications.--The commission shall prescribe the form
 2   and manner in which an application may be submitted to receive a
 3   grant award under the program.
 4      (d)   Use of grants.--Law enforcement agencies may use a grant
 5   award under this program to support the purchase and
 6   implementation of community engagement software. The software
 7   shall:
 8            (1)   Supplement and integrate with the existing public
 9      safety notification systems, including computer-aided
10      dispatch systems, victims' notification systems or other
11      notification systems of the law enforcement agency.
12            (2)   Not duplicate existing public safety notification
13      systems under paragraph (1).
14            (3)   Meet law enforcement notification responsibilities
15      under the act of November 24, 1998 (P.L.882, No.111), known
16      as the "Crime Victims Act."
17      (e)   Supplement not supplant.--Grant money allocated through
18   the program shall be used to supplement and not supplant
19   existing funding. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
20   prohibit a law enforcement agency from making an application to
21   receive a grant award under the program in a subsequent year for
22   the same purpose and amount as in a prior year.
23      (f)   Diversity.--The commission shall ensure that grant
24   awards made under the program are geographically dispersed
25   throughout this Commonwealth.
26      (g)   Performance metrics.--The commission shall include
27   performance metrics to measure the progress of grants awarded
28   under the program.
29      (h)   Confidentiality.--A record created or obtained through
30   the implementation or operation of the program shall be

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 1   confidential and is exempt from access under the act of February
 2   14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as the "Right-to-Know Law."
 3      (i)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
 4   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
 5   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
 6      "Community engagement software."    An accessible digital
 7   technology tool or platform that allows for customizable and
 8   automated public safety communications from a law enforcement
 9   agency to victims of crime and concerned citizens. The software
10   shall also include a survey function that allows the law
11   enforcement agency to gather information to improve services,
12   track initiatives and identify issues.
13      "Law enforcement agency."   A district attorney's office or a
14   public agency of a political subdivision having general police
15   powers and charged with making arrests in connection with the
16   enforcement of the criminal or traffic laws.
17      "Program."   The Public Safety Resident Communications Pilot
18   Program established under subsection (a).
19      Section 2.   This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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