HB 879 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and related offenses, providing for concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute.

PRINTER'S NO.   919

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          HOUSE BILL
                          No. 879
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, BRENNAN, BURGOS, CERRATO, CIRESI,
        CONKLIN, DALEY, DEASY, GALLAGHER, GIRAL, GREEN, HILL-EVANS,
        HOHENSTEIN, HOWARD, McNEILL, PROBST, SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG AND
        STEELE, MARCH 11, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 11, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and
 3      related offenses, providing for concurrent jurisdiction to
 4      prosecute.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.     Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 8   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 9   § 5562.    Concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute.
10      (a)    Jurisdiction.--
11             (1)   In addition to the authority conferred upon the
12      Attorney General by the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950,
13      No.164), known as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, and in
14      accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3), the Attorney General
15      shall have the authority to investigate and institute
16      criminal proceedings for a felony offense under this
17      subchapter.
18             (2)   The Attorney General may submit a written request to
 1      prosecute a felony offense under this subchapter in a
 2      criminal court or juvenile delinquency court. The request
 3      must be submitted to the district attorney with jurisdiction
 4      over the prosecution of the felony offense.
 5            (3)   If the district attorney with jurisdiction over the
 6      prosecution of the felony offense fails to respond within 90
 7      days to the request made under paragraph (2), the Attorney
 8      General shall send a subsequent written request by certified
 9      or registered mail, and, if the district attorney fails to
10      respond to the subsequent request within 10 days of the date
11      of the subsequent request, the request shall be deemed
12      approved.
13      (b)     District attorney.--A district attorney with
14   jurisdiction over the prosecution of the felony offense may
15   request the Attorney General to investigate and institute
16   criminal proceedings in a felony case under this subchapter.
17      (c)     Manual.--The Attorney General shall develop and maintain
18   a manual of best practices for the investigation and institution
19   of criminal proceedings under this subchapter that shall be made
20   available on the Attorney General's publicly accessible Internet
21   website.
22      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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