SB 249 — An Act amending the act of November 24, 1998 (P.L.882, No.111), known as the Crime Victims Act, in crime victims, further providing for responsibilities of State and local law enforcement agencies.

PRINTER'S NO.   201

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 249
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY COLEMAN, FONTANA, ROTHMAN, BROWN, COSTA, MILLER,
        CULVER AND LAUGHLIN, FEBRUARY 13, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of November 24, 1998 (P.L.882, No.111),
 2      entitled "An act providing for victims' rights; imposing
 3      penalties; establishing remedies; establishing the Office of
 4      Victim Advocate, the Bureau of Victims' Services, the
 5      Victims' Services Advisory Committee, the State Offender
 6      Supervision Fund and other funds; and making repeals," in
 7      crime victims, further providing for responsibilities of
 8      State and local law enforcement agencies.
 9      This act may be referred to as Tara's Law.
10      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
11   hereby enacts as follows:
12      Section 1.     Section 212 of the act of November 24, 1998
13   (P.L.882, No.111), known as the Crime Victims Act, is amended by
14   adding a subsection to read:
15   Section 212.     Responsibilities of State and local law
16                  enforcement agencies.
17      * * *
18      (h)   Release of identification.--
19            (1)   Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), a law
20      enforcement agency shall make a reasonable effort to contact
21      a surviving family member of a direct victim of murder or
1     intervenor before publicly releasing the identification of
2     the direct victim or intervenor.
3         (2)   A law enforcement agency may publicly release the
4     identification of a direct victim of murder or intervenor
5     without notification of the death to a surviving family
6     member if the release is necessary for the investigation of
7     the murder.
8     Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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