Pennsylvania HB 1975: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the offense of assault of law enforcement officer.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2494
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1975
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY HADDOCK, PROBST, SCHLOSSBERG, HARKINS, SHAFFER,
GIRAL, PIELLI, BOROWSKI, KUZMA, GAYDOS, HILL-EVANS,
D. WILLIAMS, GILLEN, GREEN, RIVERA, INGLIS, PASHINSKI AND
MADDEN, OCTOBER 21, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, OCTOBER 21, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in assault, further providing for the
offense of assault of law enforcement officer.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2702.1 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
§ 2702.1. Assault of [law enforcement officer] emergency
responder.
(a) Assault of [a law enforcement officer] emergency
responder.--
(1) A person commits a felony of the first degree who
attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly causes bodily
injury to [a law enforcement officer] an emergency responder,
while in the performance of duty and with knowledge that the
victim is [a law enforcement officer] an emergency responder,
by discharging a firearm.
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(2) Except as provided under sections 2703 (relating to
assault by prisoner), 2703.1 (relating to aggravated
harassment by prisoner) and 2704 (relating to assault by life
prisoner), a person is guilty of a felony of the third degree
if the person intentionally or knowingly causes or attempts
to cause [a law enforcement officer] an emergency responder,
while in the performance of duty and with knowledge that the
victim is [a law enforcement officer] an emergency responder,
to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, saliva, urine
or feces by throwing, tossing, spitting or expelling the
fluid or material.
(3) A person who commits an offense under paragraph (2)
shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree if:
(i) the person knew, had reason to know, should have
known or believed the fluid or material to have been
obtained from an individual, including the person charged
under this section, infected by a communicable disease
declared reportable by regulation authorized by the act
of April 23, 1956 (1955 P.L.1510, No.500), known as the
Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955; and
(ii) the communicable disease referenced in
subparagraph (i) is communicable to the [law enforcement
officer] emergency responder by the method used or
attempted to be used to cause the [law enforcement
officer] emergency responder to come into contact with
the blood, seminal fluid, saliva, urine or feces.
(b) Penalties.--Notwithstanding section 1103(1) (relating to
sentence of imprisonment for felony), a person convicted under
subsection (a)(1) shall be sentenced to a term of imprisonment
fixed by the court at not more than 40 years.
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(c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection:
["Law enforcement officer." The term shall have the same
meaning as the term "peace officer" is given under section 501
(relating to definitions).]
"Emergency responder." As defined under 35 Pa.C.S. § 75A01
(relating to definitions).
"Firearm." As defined under 42 Pa.C.S. § 9712(e) (relating
to sentences for offenses committed with firearms).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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