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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 24, 2023 03:00 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Carol Kazeem |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Community Service In Lieu of Vehicle Code |
| Today’s tenuous job market has made paying fines imposed under Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Code increasingly difficult for many individuals. Unpaid traffic citations can lead to late fees, collection agency involvement, license suspensions, and even the issuance of an arrest warrant. Jailing individuals who fail to post collateral can prevent reentry into the community and participation in local economies. Conversely, alternatives such as community service are geared toward rehabilitation and can have long-term benefits for communities. For these reasons, I plan to introduce legislation to allow our courts to order community service upon plea and proof of a person’s inability to pay a penalty imposed under the Vehicle Code. Under the bill, court-ordered community service may be imposed in lieu of payment of up to 50 percent of the fine and costs initially set. We need to help relieve the persistent financial burdens that people throughout our state face. Substituting a part of fines will save the criminal justice system money that would otherwise be spent on collections efforts, and it will mitigate societal damages caused by long-term imprisonment resulting from an individual’s inability to pay. Please join me in providing an alternative to paying fines for those individuals who are struggling financially. |
Introduced as HB716