SB 575 — An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of ethnic intimidation; and making an editorial change.

PRINTER'S NO.   575

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 575
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY COMITTA, STREET, FONTANA, BROOKS, PENNYCUICK,
        HUGHES, SCHWANK, TARTAGLIONE, COSTA, KANE, COLLETT,
        SANTARSIERO AND MUTH, APRIL 9, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 9, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and 42 (Judiciary and
 2      Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 3      Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of
 4      ethnic intimidation; and making an editorial change.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.    Section 2710 heading, (a) and (c) of Title 18 of
 8   the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
 9   § 2710.   [Ethnic] Hate-Based intimidation.
10      (a)    Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of
11   [ethnic] hate-based intimidation if, with malicious intention
12   toward the race, color, religion [or], national origin or
13   intellectual or physical disability of another individual or
14   group of individuals, he commits an offense under any other
15   provision of this article or under Chapter 33 (relating to
16   arson, criminal mischief and other property destruction)
17   exclusive of section 3307 (relating to institutional vandalism)
18   or under section 3503 (relating to criminal trespass) with
 1   respect to such individual or his or her property or with
 2   respect to one or more members of such group or to their
 3   property.
 4      * * *
 5      (c)    Definition.--As used in this section "malicious
 6   intention" means the intention to commit any act, the commission
 7   of which is a necessary element of any offense referred to in
 8   subsection (a) motivated by hatred toward the race, color,
 9   religion [or], national origin or intellectual or physical
10   disability of another individual or group of individuals.
11      Section 2.     Section 8309(a) introductory paragraph of Title
12   42 is amended to read:
13   § 8309.    Civil rights violations.
14      (a)    Redress for personal injury.--A person who incurs injury
15   to his person or damage or loss to his property as a result of
16   conduct described in 18 Pa.C.S. § 2710 (relating to [ethnic]
17   hate-based intimidation) or 3307 (relating to institutional
18   vandalism) shall have a right of action against the actor for
19   injunction, damages or other appropriate civil or equitable
20   relief. In the action, the issue of whether the defendant
21   engaged in the conduct alleged shall be determined according to
22   the burden of proof used in other civil actions for similar
23   relief. The plaintiff may seek recovery for any of the
24   following:
25             * * *
26      Section 3.     This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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