Pennsylvania SB 911: An Act amending the act of November 24, 1998 (P.L.882, No.111), known as the Crime Victims Act, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1038, 1283 PRINTER'S NO. 1841
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 911
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY PICOZZI, ARGALL, CAPPELLETTI, BARTOLOTTA, VOGEL,
STEFANO AND MILLER, JULY 8, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, JUNE 24, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, providing for miscellaneous provisions
and for violent incident clearance and technological
investigative methods; establishing the Violent Incident
Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Program;
and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime
and Delinquency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 44 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a part to read:
PART V
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Chapter
81. Violent Incident Clearance and Technological
Investigative Methods
CHAPTER 81
VIOLENT INCIDENT CLEARANCE AND
TECHNOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIVE METHODS
Sec.
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8101. Definitions.
8102. Violent Incident Clearance and Technological
Investigative Methods Program.
8103. Reporting.
8104. Evaluation.
§ 8101. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Cleared by arrest." Referring to an offense in which a law
enforcement agency reports is solved and closed for crime
reporting purposes, when at least one individual has been
arrested, charged with the commission of the offense and turned
over to the court for prosecution, whether following arrest,
court summons or police notice.
"Cleared by exceptional means." Referring to an offense in
which a law enforcement agency has:
(1) identified the offender;
(2) gathered enough evidence to support an arrest, make
a charge and turn over the offender to the court for
prosecution;
(3) identified the offender's exact location so that the
offender could be taken into custody immediately; and
(4) encountered a circumstance outside the control of
the law enforcement agency that prohibits the law enforcement
agency from arresting, charging and prosecuting the offender.
"Commission." The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency.
"Homicide." Either of the following:
(1) Murder of the first degree as defined in 18 Pa.C.S.
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§ 2502(a) (relating to murder).
(2) Murder of the second degree as defined in 18 Pa.C.S.
§ 2502(b).
"Law enforcement agency." A public agency of a political
subdivision having general police powers and charged with
investigating and making arrests in connection with violent
crimes.
"Program." The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological
Investigative Methods Program established under section 8102(a).
"Violent crime." A crime of violence as defined in 42
Pa.C.S. § 9714(g) (relating to sentences for second and
subsequent offenses).
§ 8102. Violent Incident Clearance and Technological
Investigative Methods Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Violent Incident Clearance and
Technological Investigative Methods Program is established in
the commission.
(b) Purpose.--The program shall provide grants to law
enforcement agencies so that law enforcement agencies have the
necessary tools and resources to improve clearance rates of
homicides and other violent crimes.
(c) Applications.--The commission shall prescribe the form
and manner in which an application may be submitted to receive a
grant under the program. The commission shall accept
applications on an annual basis.
(d) Use of grants.--A law enforcement agency may use a grant
under the program for any of the following:
(1) Hiring, retaining and training personnel to
investigate homicides and other violent crimes.
(1) RETAINING AND TRAINING OF EXISTING PERSONNEL
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RESPONSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATING HOMICIDES AND OTHER VIOLENT
CRIMES, AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RETENTION AND TRAINING.
(2) Acquiring, upgrading or replacing technology or
equipment related to evidence collection, evidence processing
and forensic testing related to homicides and other violent
crimes.
(3) Hiring, retaining and training personnel for the
collection, processing and forensic testing of evidence
related to homicides and other violent crimes.
(4) Hiring, retaining and training of personnel to
analyze homicides and other violent crimes, including the
temporal and geographic trends.
(3) RETAINING AND TRAINING OF EXISTING PERSONNEL
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLLECTION, PROCESSING AND FORENSIC
TESTING OF EVIDENCE RELATED TO HOMICIDES AND OTHER VIOLENT
CRIMES, AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RETENTION AND TRAINING.
(4) RETAINING AND TRAINING OF EXISTING PERSONNEL
ANALYZING HOMICIDES AND OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES, INCLUDING THE
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