PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 839
PRINTER'S NO. 2105
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
863
Session of
2023
INTRODUCED BY D. WILLIAMS, KINSEY, MADDEN, SANCHEZ AND GREEN,
APRIL 10, 2023
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, OCTOBER 4, 2023
AN ACT
Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in employees, further providing for
powers and duties of commission.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 2164(8) of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
ยง 2164. Powers and duties of commission.
The powers and duties of the commission shall be as follows:
* * *
(8) To require minimum standards for physical fitness,
psychological evaluation and education as prerequisites to
employment as a police officer. The minimum standards shall
require an applicant for certification to score no lower than
the 30th percentile of the Cooper standards, which coincides
with the 30th percentile of the general population, for each
required evaluation to be eligible for employment as a police
officer. A school may not enroll an individual into a recruit
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training program certified by the commission unless the
individual has obtained a score in the 15th percentile or
higher for the individual's age and gender as specified in
the Cooper standards for each required evaluation. THE
FOLLOWING SHALL APPLY:
(I) THE MINIMUM PHYSICAL FITNESS STANDARDS SHALL
REQUIRE AN APPLICANT FOR CERTIFICATION TO SCORE NO LOWER
THAN THE 30TH PERCENTILE OF THE COOPER STANDARDS, WHICH
COINCIDES WITH THE 30TH PERCENTILE OF THE GENERAL
POPULATION, FOR EACH REQUIRED EVALUATION TO BE ELIGIBLE
FOR EMPLOYMENT AS A POLICE OFFICER. A SCHOOL MAY NOT
ENROLL AN INDIVIDUAL INTO A RECRUIT TRAINING PROGRAM
CERTIFIED BY THE COMMISSION UNLESS THE INDIVIDUAL HAS
OBTAINED A SCORE IN THE 15TH PERCENTILE OR HIGHER FOR THE
INDIVIDUAL'S AGE AND GENDER AS SPECIFIED IN THE COOPER
STANDARDS FOR EACH REQUIRED EVALUATION.
(II) THE MINIMUM EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS SHALL REQUIRE
AN APPLICANT TO DEMONSTRATE READING COMPREHENSION THROUGH
A READING COMPREHENSION TEST APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION,
WHICH SHALL TRANSMIT NOTICE OF APPROVED READING
COMPREHENSION TESTS TO THE LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU
FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE ISSUE OF THE
PENNSYLVANIA BULLETIN AND ON THE COMMISSION'S PUBLICLY
ACCESSIBLE INTERNET WEBSITE.
* * *
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20230HB0863PN2105 - 2 -
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