Pennsylvania HB 1604: An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for mandatory firearms training for certain officers.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 1920 PRINTER'S NO. 2518
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1604
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY DELLOSO, CARROLL, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, NEILSON,
D. WILLIAMS, O'MARA, STEELE, CURRY, CIRESI, GREEN AND
BOROWSKI, JUNE 13, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 27, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for mandatory
firearms training for certain officers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 2173. Mandatory firearms training for certain officers.
(a) Requirement.--An officer REQUIREMENT.--
(1) AN OFFICER IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY shall attend
and complete mandatory in-service firearms training courses
conducted by a certified law enforcement firearms instructor
at least four times each year.
(2) THE FIREARMS TRAINING UNDER PARAGRAPH (1) SHALL
INCLUDE VIRTUAL OR PHYSICAL SIMULATION TRAININGS WHICH ARE
DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILL DEVELOPMENT IN
LIVE ACTION SITUATIONS TO PREPARE OFFICERS FOR ACTIVE EVENTS
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THAT MAY REQUIRE THE USE OF FORCE.
(B) SIMULATION TRAINING.--THE COMMISSION SHALL MAKE
AVAILABLE SIMULATION TRAINING, CONDUCTED BY A CERTIFIED LAW
ENFORCEMENT FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR, FOR USE BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY AT LEAST TWO TIMES PER YEAR, SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY
OF FACILITIES CAPABLE OF PROVIDING SIMULATION TRAINING.
(b) (C) Documentation.--
(1) A certified law enforcement firearms instructor and
a law enforcement agency's chief officer must produce and
maintain a record of any in-service firearms training courses
an officer completes, including the number of rounds fired,
the officer's scores and the firearms used in training.
(2) The record shall be documented in the commission's
training and certification system within 30 days of the end
of each calendar year, including an officer's primary duty
weapon qualification to maintain certification as an officer.
(c) (D) Penalty.--An officer who fails to complete the
training required under this section shall be placed by the law
enforcement agency on administrative leave until the training is
completed.
(d) (E) 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:
"Certified law enforcement firearms instructor." A firearms
instructor authorized by the commission to conduct firearms
training to a police officer within this Commonwealth.
"Law enforcement agency." A public agency of a municipality
or county having general police powers and charged with making
arrests in connection with the enforcement of criminal or
traffic laws.
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"Officer." A police officer employed by a law enforcement
agency in a county of the second class A with a population
between 565,000 and 600,000 according to the 2020 Federal
decennial census .
" SIMULATION TRAINING." A PHYSICAL OR VIRTUAL TRAINING
SIMULATOR DESIGNED TO PROVIDE REALISTIC AND IMMERSIVE TRAINING
SCENARIOS FOR OFFICERS, INCLUDING ALLOWING FOR THE ABILITY TO
CREATE CUSTOM SCENARIOS USING REAL-WORLD DATA.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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