PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 576, 964, 1575 PRINTER'S NO. 2107
No. 544 Session of 1979
Report of the Committee of Conference
To the Members of the Senate and House of Representatives:
We, the undersigned, Committee of Conference on the part of the Senate and House of Representatives for the purpose of considering Senate Bill No. 544, entitled: "An act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further PROVIDING CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR CARRYING WEAPONS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY AND defining aggravated assault and increasing the grading for certain types of aggravated assault on a second and subsequent conviction AND AUTHORIZING PROSECUTION FOR OBSCENITY VIOLATIONS WHETHER OR NOT THE ACTIVITY IS ENJOINED." respectfully submit the following bill as our report: MICHAEL A. O'PAKE MICHAEL P. SCHAEFER PHILIP PRICE, Jr. (Committee on the part of the Senate.) D. MICHAEL FISHER FRED C. NOYE (Committee on the part of the House of Representatives.)
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania 2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing criminal penalties 3 for carrying weapons on school property and defining 4 aggravated assault and increasing the grading for certain 5 types of aggravated assault on a second and subsequent 6 conviction and authorizing prosecution for obscenity 7 violations whether or not the activity is enjoined. 8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 9 hereby enacts as follows: 10 Section 1. Title 18, act of November 25, 1970 (P.L.707, 11 No.230), known as the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, is 12 amended by adding a section to read: 13 § 912. Possession of weapon on school property. 14 (a) Definition.--Notwithstanding the definition of "weapon" 15 in section 907 (relating to possessing instruments of crime), 16 "weapon" for purposes of this section shall include but not be 17 limited to any knife, cutting instrument, cutting tool, nun- 18 chuck stick, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, 19 instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily 20 injury. 21 (b) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the 22 first degree if he possesses a weapon in the buildings of, on 23 the grounds of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to 24 or from any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational 25 institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed 26 by the Department of Education or any elementary or secondary 27 parochial school. 28 (c) Defense.--It shall be a defense that the weapon is 29 possessed and used in conjunction with a lawful supervised 30 school activity or course or is possessed for other lawful 31 purpose.
1 Section 2. Section 2702 and subsections (a) and (h) of 2 section 5903 of Title 18 are amended and section 5903 is amended 3 by adding a subsection to read: 4 § 2702. Aggravated assault. 5 (a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of aggravated 6 assault if he: 7 (1) attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another, 8 or causes such injury intentionally, knowingly or recklessly 9 under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the 10 value of human life; 11 (2) attempts to cause or intentionally, knowingly or 12 recklessly causes serious bodily injury to a police officer 13 making or attempting to make a lawful arrest; 14 (3) attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly 15 causes bodily injury to a police officer making or attempting 16 to make a lawful arrest; [or] 17 (4) attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly 18 causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon; or 19 (5) attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly 20 causes bodily injury to a teaching staff member, school board 21 member, other employee or student of any elementary or 22 secondary publicly-funded educational institution, any 23 elementary or secondary private school licensed by the 24 Department of Education or any elementary or secondary 25 parochial school while acting in the scope of his or her 26 employment or because of his or her employment relationship 27 to the school. 28 (b) Grading.--Aggravated assault under [paragraphs] 29 subsection (a)(1) and [(a)] (2) [of this section] is a felony of 30 the second degree. Aggravated assault under [paragraphs] 19790S0544B2107 - 2 -
1 subsection (a)(3), [and (a)](4) and (5) [of this section] is a 2 misdemeanor of the first degree. Whenever any person has been 3 previously convicted or adjudicated a delinquent in this 4 Commonwealth for the offense set forth in subsection (a)(5), a 5 subsequent petition, indictment or information of aggravated 6 assault under subsection (a)(5) shall be classified as a felony 7 of the third degree. 8 § 5903. Obscene and other sexual materials. 9 (a) Offenses defined.--No person, knowing the obscene 10 character of the materials involved, shall: 11 (1) display or cause or permit the display of any 12 [obscene] explicit sexual materials as defined in subsection 13 (c), in or on any window, showcase, newsstand, display rack, 14 billboard, display board, viewing screen, motion picture 15 screen, marquee or similar place in such manner that the 16 display is visible from any public street, highway, sidewalk, 17 transportation facility or other public thoroughfare, or in 18 any business or commercial establishment where minors, as a 19 part of the general public or otherwise, are or will probably 20 be exposed to view all or any part of such materials. 21 * * * 22 (h) Criminal prosecution [for enjoined activities].-- 23 (1) Any person who violates subsection (a) or (f) [as to 24 the matters enjoined pursuant to subsection (g) commits] is 25 guilty of a misdemeanor of the [second] first degree. 26 Violation of subsection (a) is a felony of the third degree 27 if the offender has previously been convicted of a violation 28 of subsection (a) or if the material was sold, distributed, 29 prepared or published for the purpose of resale. 30 (2) Any person who violates subsection (c) or (d) [as to 19790S0544B2107 - 3 -
1 matters enjoined pursuant to subsection (g) commits] is 2 guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. Violation of 3 subsection (c) or (d) is a felony of the third degree if the 4 offender has previously been convicted of a violation of 5 subsection (c) or (d). 6 (3) [Elements of the offense shall be determined de novo 7 at the criminal proceeding and findings] Findings made in 8 [the] an equity action shall not be binding in the criminal 9 proceedings. 10 * * * 11 (k) Ordinances or resolutions.--Nothing in this chapter 12 shall be construed to invalidate, supersede, repeal or preempt 13 any ordinance or resolution of any political subdivision insofar 14 as it is consistent with this chapter, and political 15 subdivisions further retain the right to regulate any 16 activities, displays, exhibitions, or materials not specifically 17 regulated by this chapter. 18 Section 3. If any provision of this amendatory act, 19 including any part of any section, or the application thereof to 20 any person or circumstances is held invalid, such invalidity 21 shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act 22 which can be given effect without the invalid provision or 23 application, and to this end the provisions of this act are 24 declared to be severable. 25 Section 4. This act shall take effect in 60 days. C21L21RZ/19790S0544B2107 - 4 -