Pennsylvania HB 2292: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in obstructing governmental operations, further providing for obstructing administration of law or other governmental function.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3002
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2292
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY SHUSTERMAN, MAYES, HANBIDGE, VENKAT, PIELLI, HILL-
EVANS, RIVERA, SANCHEZ, KINKEAD, WAXMAN, KAZEEM, D. WILLIAMS,
BOROWSKI, BOYD, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, PROBST, GUENST AND
HOHENSTEIN, MARCH 16, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 16, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in obstructing governmental
operations, further providing for obstructing administration
of law or other governmental function.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 5101 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 5101. Obstructing administration of law or other governmental
function.
[A] (a) Offense defined.--Except as defined under subsection
(b), a person commits a misdemeanor of the second degree if he
intentionally obstructs, impairs or perverts the administration
of law or other governmental function by force, violence,
physical interference or obstacle, breach of official duty, or
any other unlawful act, except that this section does not apply
to flight by a person charged with crime, refusal to submit to
arrest, failure to perform a legal duty other than an official
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

duty, or any other means of avoiding compliance with law without
affirmative interference with governmental functions.
(b) Exceptions.--The owner, operator or an employee of a
health care facility, including an emergency department, located
within this Commonwealth may, through nonviolent means, deny or
otherwise obstruct the entry of a law enforcement officer acting
in the officer's official capacity onto the premises of the
facility, including a parking lot owned by the facility, unless
the law enforcement officer:
(1) can demonstrate probable cause that a person to be
detained, arrested or otherwise taken into custody is on the
premises of the facility; and
(2) possesses on the officer's person a judicial warrant
that clearly demonstrates that the person to be detained,
arrested or otherwise taken into custody is the subject of
the judicial warrant.
(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Emergency department." An entity within a hospital that is
organizationally distinct from other outpatient facilities and
whose primary function is to provide emergency accident or
emergency medical or surgical care.
"Health care facility." As defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 3302
(relating to definitions).
"Judicial warrant." A written order signed by a judicial
officer from a Federal Article III court or a state court that
directs a law enforcement agency or some other person who is
specifically named in the order to arrest an individual.
"Law enforcement officer." A member of the Pennsylvania
20260HB2292PN3002 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

State Police Force, an individual employed in a position
requiring certification under 53 Pa.C.S. Ch. 21 (relating to
employees), an officer or employee of a Federal agency or an
individual acting on behalf of a Federal agency in an official
capacity, temporarily or permanently in the service of the
United States, whether with or without compensation.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20260HB2292PN3002 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7