SB 634 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense of hate crimes against law enforcement officers and first responders.

PRINTER'S NO.   639

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                          SENATE BILL
                          No. 634
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY LANGERHOLC, J. WARD, BROOKS, PENNYCUICK, CULVER,
        ROBINSON, FONTANA, BARTOLOTTA, COSTA, MILLER AND STEFANO,
        APRIL 14, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 14, 2025


                                        AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in assault, providing for the offense
 3      of hate crimes against law enforcement officers and first
 4      responders.
 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   § 2710.1.      Hate crimes against law enforcement officers and
10                  first responders.
11      (a)   Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of a hate
12   crime against a law enforcement officer or a first responder if,
13   with malicious intent because of the actual or perceived
14   employment as a law enforcement officer or first responder, the
15   person commits an offense under any of the following with
16   respect to the individual, the individual's property, one or
17   more members of the group or the group's property:
18            (1)    Any other provision of this article.
 1            (2)   Chapter 33 (relating to arson, criminal mischief and
 2      other property destruction), except for section 3307
 3      (relating to institutional vandalism).
 4            (3)   Section 3503 (relating to criminal trespass).
 5      (b)   Grading.--An offense under this section shall be
 6   classified as a misdemeanor of the third degree if the other
 7   offense is classified as a summary offense. If the other offense
 8   is not classified as a summary offense, an offense under this
 9   section shall be classified one degree higher in the
10   classification specified under section 106 (relating to classes
11   of offenses) than the classification of the other offense.
12      (c)   Sentencing enhancement.--The Pennsylvania Commission on
13   Sentencing, in accordance with 42 Pa.C.S. § 2154 (relating to
14   adoption of guidelines for sentencing), shall provide for a
15   sentencing enhancement for courts to consider in cases involving
16   hate crimes against law enforcement officers or first
17   responders.
18      (d)   Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
19   words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
20   subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
21      "First responder."    A firefighter or emergency medical
22   services personnel.
23      "Law enforcement officer."    The term shall have the same
24   meaning as the term "peace officer" is given under section 501
25   (relating to definitions).
26      "Malicious intent."    The intent to commit an act, the
27   commission of which is a necessary element of an offense
28   referred to under subsection (a), motivated by hatred toward the
29   actual or perceived employment as a law enforcement officer or
30   first responder.

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1     Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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