Pennsylvania HB 1579: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in constables, further providing for townships, providing for bond, further providing for police officers, providing for bail bond enforcement agent, for professional bondsman, for debt collection, for other incompatible employment, for disqualification and for nepotism, further providing for conduct and insurance, for program established, for program contents, for restricted account and for general imposition of duties and grant of powers, providing for constabulary badge and uniform, repealing provisions relating to arrest of offenders against forest laws, further providing for executions, for arrest in boroughs, for fees and for specific fees, repealing provisions relating to impounding, selling and viewing fees, further providing for seizure fees, for election notice in certain areas, for incompetence and for compensation violation, repealing provisions relating to failure to serve in a township and providing for oversight; authorizing county constabulary review boards; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency; and imposing penalties.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1874
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1579
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY T. JONES, PROKOPIAK, JAMES, MARCELL, TOMLINSON,
LABS, SANCHEZ, KRUPA AND ZIMMERMAN, JUNE 9, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 9, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in constables, further providing for
townships, providing for bond, further providing for police
officers, providing for bail bond enforcement agent, for
professional bondsman, for debt collection, for other
incompatible employment, for disqualification and for
nepotism, further providing for conduct and insurance, for
program established, for program contents, for restricted
account and for general imposition of duties and grant of
powers, providing for constabulary badge and uniform,
repealing provisions relating to arrest of offenders against
forest laws, further providing for executions, for arrest in
boroughs, for fees and for specific fees, repealing
provisions relating to impounding, selling and viewing fees,
further providing for seizure fees, for election notice in
certain areas, for incompetence and for compensation
violation, repealing provisions relating to failure to serve
in a township and providing for oversight; authorizing county
constabulary review boards; imposing duties on the
Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency; and
imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 7114 of Title 44 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 7114. Townships.
[(a) Election.--]The following shall apply:
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(1) The qualified voters of every township shall vote
for and elect a properly qualified person for constable.
(2) The qualified electors of each township of the first
class may vote for and elect a properly qualified person to
serve as constable, in addition to the constable elected
under paragraph (1).
[(b) Procedure upon election; penalty.--Every person elected
to the office of constable in a township shall appear in court
on the first day of the next court of common pleas of the same
county to accept or decline the office. A person who neglects or
refuses to appear, after having been duly notified of the
election, shall forfeit to the township the sum of $40 to be
levied by order of the court.
(c) Bond.--The bond given by a constable in a township shall
be in a sum not less than $500 nor more than $3,000, as the
court shall direct, and shall be taken by the clerk of the court
in the name of the Commonwealth, with conditions for just and
faithful discharge by the constable of the duties of office. The
bond shall be held in trust for the use and benefit of persons
who may sustain injury by reason of neglect of duty, and for the
same purposes and uses as a sheriff's bond.]
Section 2. Title 44 is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 7115. Bond.
The bond given by a constable shall be in a commercially
available sum not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000, as the
court shall direct, and shall be taken by the clerk of the court
in the name of the Commonwealth, with conditions for just and
faithful discharge by the constable of the duties of office. The
bond shall be held in trust for the use and benefit of persons
who may sustain injury by reason of neglect of duty, and for the
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same purposes and uses as a sheriff's bond.
Section 3. Section 7132 of Title 44 is amended to read:
§ 7132. Police officers.
[(a) Constable employed as policeman not to accept other
fees in addition to salary.--]Except for public rewards and
legal mileage allowed to a constable or deputy constable for
traveling expenses, [and except as provided in subsection (b),
it is unlawful for] a constable or deputy constable who is also
employed as a [policeman to] police officer may not charge or
accept a fee or other compensation, other than [his] the salary
as a [policeman] police officer, for services rendered or
performed pertaining to [his] the office or duties as a
[policeman or constable.] police officer, constable or deputy
constable. Reimbursement for mileage is not payable to a
constable or deputy constable for travel within the municipality
if the constable or deputy constable is also employed as a
police officer.
[(b) Exception.--Unless prevented from doing so by the
operation of 8 Pa.C.S. Ch. 11 Subch. J (relating to civil
service for police and fire apparatus operators), borough
policemen who reside in the borough may hold and exercise the
office of constable in the borough, or in any ward thereof, and
receive all costs, fees and emoluments pertaining to such
office.]
Section 4. Title 44 is amended by adding sections to read:
§ 7133. Bail bond enforcement agent.
(a) General rule.--
(1) Unless separately licensed withi