Pennsylvania HB 1550: An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, providing for parole for reasons of age and for medical parole under certain circumstances.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1834
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1550
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BURGOS, CURRY, RABB, CARROLL, WAXMAN, HILL-EVANS,
HANBIDGE, SANCHEZ, KHAN, HOHENSTEIN, MAYES, PARKER, CEPEDA-
FREYTIZ AND KRAJEWSKI, JUNE 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, JUNE 4, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and
Parole, providing for parole for reasons of age and for
medical parole under certain circumstances.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding sections to read:
§ 6144. Parole for reasons of age.
(a) Eligibility criteria.--The board may grant parole to an
incarcerated individual upon petition filed by either the
department or the incarcerated individual if all of the
following criteria are satisfied:
(1) The incarcerated individual has attained a minimum
age of 50 years and has served either a minimum of 25 years
of imprisonment or one-half of the minimum sentence imposed
for the offense for which the individual is currently
incarcerated, whichever is less.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18

(2) The board determines that the incarcerated
individual would not currently present a danger to other
people or the general public if released on parole.
(b) Notice to department.--If an incarcerated individual
files a petition for parole under subsection (a), the
incarcerated individual shall provide a copy of the petition to
the department no later than seven business days after filing
the petition with the board.
(c) Notice to victims.--Within 30 business days of receipt
of a petition filed by an incarcerated individual under
subsection (a), or upon the filing of a petition by the
department on behalf of an incarcerated individual under
subsection (a), the board shall, subject to applicable
confidentiality provisions, take all of the following actions:
(1) Provide written notice to the Office of Victim
Advocate and any registered victim of the incarcerated
individual's offense, informing the victim of the petition
and stating the general basis for the petition.
(2) Afford the Office of Victim Advocate and any
registered victim of the incarcerated individual's offense a
period of 60 days to submit a written response to the board
regarding the petition.
(d) Duties of board.--
(1) The board shall, when issuing a decision on the
petition submitted under subsection (a), consider all of the
following:
(i) A response to the petition by the Office of
Victim Advocate and any registered victim of the
incarcerated individual's offense.
(ii) Recommendations by the secretary, if any.
20250HB1550PN1834 - 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

(iii) The incarcerated individual's offense that
resulted in the conviction.
(iv) The incarcerated individual's sentence and time
served for the conviction.
(v) The incarcerated individual's current age,
physical and mental condition and ability to function
within a correctional environment.
(vi) The incarcerated individual's postrelease care
plan if a plan exists.
(vii) The incarcerated individual's disciplinary
record, a full set of records of accomplishments and any
records demonstrating rehabilitation while incarcerated.
(viii) The likelihood that the incarcerated
individual would pose a danger to others or the general
public if released. Based on physical and mental health,
employability, good behavior, leadership roles,
documented rehabilitation and number and array of support
letters from individuals within and outside the
correctional institutions where the incarcerated
individual has resided.
(2) In granting parole for a petition submitted under
subsection (a), the board may impose any reasonable terms and
conditions of parole specifically tailored to the
circumstances relating to the sentence that is the least
restrictive of the incarcerated individual's individual
liberty.
(e) Denial of petition.--If the board denies a petition for
parole under subsection (d):
(1) The incarcerated individual may file a habeas corpus
petition in this Commonwealth challenging the denial. The
20250HB1550PN1834 - 3 -
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

court shall act upon the petition by holding a hearing within
60 days of receipt of the petition.
(2) The incarcerated individual or the department may
submit a petition for parole under subsection (a) for
reconsideration by the board within 30 days of receipt of
notice of the denial.
(3) In addition to paragraph (2), the incarcerated
individual or the department may submit a petition for parole
under subsection (a) one year after the date that the initial
petition was filed.
(f) Reports.--No later than September 1, 2026, and each
September 1 thereafter, the secretary shall submit to the
chairperson and minor