SB 513 — An Act amending Title 46 (Legislature) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for racial impact statements in consideration of legislation.

PRINTER'S NO.   476

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 513
                                                  Session of
                                                    2025

     INTRODUCED BY HUGHES, COLLETT, KEARNEY, HAYWOOD, SCHWANK, COSTA,
        SAVAL, KANE, MUTH AND L. WILLIAMS, MARCH 25, 2025

     REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, MARCH 25, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 46 (Legislature) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 2      Statutes, providing for racial impact statements in
 3      consideration of legislation.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 46 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a part to read:
 8                                   PART III
 9                                  LEGISLATION
10   Chapter
11      21.    Racial Impact Statements
12                                  CHAPTER 21
13                           RACIAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
14   Sec.
15   2101.    Scope of chapter.
16   2102.    Definitions.
17   2103.    Racial impact statements.
18   § 2101.    Scope of chapter.
 1      This chapter relates to racial impact statements.
 2   § 2102.    Definitions.
 3      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
 4   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 5   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 6      "Commission."     The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing.
 7   § 2103.    Racial impact statements.
 8      (a)    Authorized.--Upon request of a member of either house of
 9   the General Assembly, the commission shall complete a racial
10   impact statement for any bill, joint resolution, freestanding
11   act or amendment that would create a new criminal offense,
12   change an existing offense in 18 Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes and
13   offenses), create a new penalty or provision related to
14   sentencing or change an existing law in 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97
15   (relating to sentencing) to determine the impact, if any, the
16   proposed legislation may have on the racial and ethnic
17   composition of the criminal offender population or juvenile
18   court system. The racial impact statement shall be impartial,
19   simple and understandable.
20      (b)    Effect of request.--
21             (1)   Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(1),
22      no bill, joint resolution or freestanding act for which a
23      racial impact statement has been requested under subsection
24      (a) may be given second consideration by the house of the
25      General Assembly whose member made the request until such
26      time as the commission has attached the racial impact
27      statement.
28             (2)   Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(2),
29      neither an amendment for which a racial impact statement has
30      been requested under subsection (a), nor the legislation to

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 1      which the amendment is offered, shall be considered by the
 2      house of the General Assembly whose member made the request
 3      until such time as the commission has attached the racial
 4      impact statement.
 5      (c)   Contents.--For racial and ethnic groups for which
 6   data are available, the racial impact statement shall include
 7   the following:
 8            (1)   An estimate of how the legislation would change the
 9      racial and ethnic composition of the criminal offender
10      population and juvenile court system.
11            (2)   A statement of the methodologies and assumptions
12      used in preparing the estimate.
13            (3)   If the racial impact statement addresses the effect
14      of the legislation on the criminal offender population and
15      juvenile court system, an estimate of the racial and ethnic
16      composition of the crime victims who may be affected by the
17      legislation.
18      (d)   Effect of failure to attach.--
19            (1)   If the commission fails to attach a racial impact
20      statement within 10 days after a request for a statement has
21      been submitted to the commission, the proposed legislation
22      may be considered in the same manner as if the racial impact
23      statement had been attached to the legislation.
24            (2)   If the commission fails to attach a racial impact
25      statement to an amendment within 10 days after a request for
26      a statement has been submitted to the commission, the
27      amendment and underlying legislation may be considered in the
28      same manner as if the racial impact statement had been
29      attached to the amendment.
30      Section 2.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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