PRINTER'S NO. 1782
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1538
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, MADDEN, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, GUENST,
HILL-EVANS AND D. WILLIAMS, JUNE 28, 2023
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, JUNE 28, 2023
AN ACT
Amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
entitled "An act establishing the Pennsylvania Commission on
Crime and Delinquency, providing for its powers and duties
establishing several advisory committees within the
commission and providing for their powers and duties,"
establishing the Public Safety Resident Communications
Program.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274),
referred to as the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and
Delinquency Law, is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 3.1. Public Safety Resident Communications Program.
(a) Establishment.--The Public Safety Resident
Communications Program is established in the commission to
provide notification to an individual as to how to receive
relevant information about the status of a criminal case from an
attorney for this Commonwealth or a law enforcement agency in
this Commonwealth with the jurisdiction to investigate the
criminal case. The program may be used by a law enforcement
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agency to contact individuals with whom officers of the agency
have interacted. The program shall be administered as a platform
to:
(1) Support messaging and survey functions in multiple
languages that are appropriate for each community in which
the platform is deployed.
(2) Transmit messages and survey responses to an
English-language dashboard for review to the appropriate
attorney for the Commonwealth or law enforcement agency.
(3) Allow the user to choose the language interface
while the user interacts with the platform.
(4) Utilize virtual agents that help an individual with
basic questions or suggestions that may be helpful. Virtual
agents may not obtain or send a message that could jeopardize
the successful prosecution of a case. The virtual agents may
not share or obtain information that violates the rights
given to victims of crime within this Commonwealth.
(5) Enable an agency to track and audit the messages and
updates sent to ensure that privacy and security are
maintained.
(6) Determine jurisdiction and ensure that notifications
are being sent and received by the responsible party.
(b) Limitation.--The updates may not require that an
individual download an application, create an account or
register through an Internet website, telephone call or other
method, including electronic mail or text messages, to receive
information.
(c) Opt out of notifications.--An individual may opt out of
notifications from the platform at any time.
(d) Timing of notifications.--The commission shall make
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notifications to an individual as soon as possible.
(e) Survey tool.--The program shall offer a survey tool
allowing the attorney for the Commonwealth or law enforcement
agency to improve services, track initiatives and identify
issues.
(f) Prohibited disclosure.--The commission, a law
enforcement agency or an attorney for the Commonwealth may not
disclose information that could jeopardize successful
prosecution of a case unless the information is required to be
disclosed under Federal or State law. If the law enforcement
agency or an attorney for the Commonwealth determines the
information cannot be disclosed under the program, a
notification shall be made to the individual on how to obtain
the information.
(g) Confidentiality.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, information disclosed or circulated through the program is
exempt from access under the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6,
No.3), known as the Right-to-Know Law.
(h) Guidelines.--The commission shall establish guidelines
for information that is able to be shared through notifications
through the program.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in six months.
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