PRINTER'S NO. 1606
No. 1185 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY EACHUS, MUNDY, GORDNER, BELARDI, McCALL, STABACK,
BLAUM, TIGUE, ROONEY, STURLA, HALUSKA, COY, READSHAW, TRELLO,
WALKO, JOSEPHS, TRAVAGLIO, SCRIMENTI, LAUGHLIN, CASORIO,
MELIO, TRICH, C. WILLIAMS, RAMOS, DeLUCA, BOSCOLA, HASAY,
TANGRETTI, CURRY, ORIE, EVANS, SANTONI AND LUCYK,
APRIL 29, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 29, 1997
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), entitled
2 "An act providing for and reorganizing the conduct of the
3 executive and administrative work of the Commonwealth by the
4 Executive Department thereof and the administrative
5 departments, boards, commissions, and officers thereof,
6 including the boards of trustees of State Normal Schools, or
7 Teachers Colleges; abolishing, creating, reorganizing or
8 authorizing the reorganization of certain administrative
9 departments, boards, and commissions; defining the powers and
10 duties of the Governor and other executive and administrative
11 officers, and of the several administrative departments,
12 boards, commissions, and officers; fixing the salaries of the
13 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and certain other executive
14 and administrative officers; providing for the appointment of
15 certain administrative officers, and of all deputies and
16 other assistants and employes in certain departments, boards,
17 and commissions; and prescribing the manner in which the
18 number and compensation of the deputies and all other
19 assistants and employes of certain departments, boards and
20 commissions shall be determined," providing for Pennsylvania
21 State Police criminal laboratories.
22 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
23 hereby enacts as follows:
24 Section 1. Section 710 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,
25 No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, is amended by
1 adding a subsection to read:
2 Section 710. Pennsylvania State Police.--The Pennsylvania
3 State Police shall have the power and its duty shall be:
4 * * *
5 (j) To maintain and operate a system of State criminal
6 laboratories which shall provide assistance to duly authorized
7 law enforcement agencies within this Commonwealth in the
8 investigation of criminal cases through the scientific
9 evaluation of pertinent physical evidence. The system shall
10 include not less than six regional criminal laboratories. The
11 Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police may not reduce the
12 number of laboratories, nor enter into contracts with private
13 providers that would result in the elimination of these
14 laboratories unless specifically authorized and approved by the
15 General Assembly.
16 Section 2. Pennsylvania State Police criminal laboratories
17 operating in this Commonwealth on January 1, 1997, shall
18 continue to operate without interruption until regional
19 laboratories are established by statute.
20 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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