SB 662 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in cruelty to animals, providing for concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute felony offenses.

PRINTER'S NO.   686

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 662
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY MUTH, KANE, FONTANA, COMITTA, SAVAL, COSTA,
        PENNYCUICK AND CAPPELLETTI, APRIL 28, 2025

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 28, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in cruelty to animals, providing for
 3      concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute felony offenses.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 5558.1.    Concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute.
 9      In addition to the authority conferred upon the Attorney
10   General by the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known
11   as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, the Attorney General shall
12   have the authority to investigate and institute criminal
13   proceedings for a felony offense under this subchapter if the
14   Attorney General requests in writing to prosecute the felony
15   offense under this subchapter in a criminal court or juvenile
16   delinquency court and:
17          (1)    the district attorney with jurisdiction over the
18      prosecution of the felony offense accepts the request in
 1    writing; or
 2        (2)   all of the following occur:
 3              (i)    the district attorney with jurisdiction over the
 4        prosecution of the felony offense fails to respond to the
 5        request within 90 days of the date of the request;
 6              (ii)    the Attorney General sends a subsequent written
 7        request by certified or registered mail to the district
 8        attorney; and
 9              (iii)    the district attorney fails to respond to the
10        subsequent request within 10 days of the date of the
11        subsequent request.
12    Section 2.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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