THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY WAUGH, ALLOWAY, BRUBAKER, COSTA, EARLL, ERICKSON, FARNESE, FONTANA, GREENLEAF, LOGAN, MUSTO, ORIE, RAFFERTY, STACK, TARTAGLIONE, TOMLINSON, WARD, WASHINGTON, M. WHITE, WILLIAMS, WONDERLING AND YAW, MAY 27, 2009

REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, MAY 27, 2009  

AN ACT

Providing for the establishment and operation of the

Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Officer Alert System; and

imposing powers and duties on the Pennsylvania State Police

and the Department of Transportation.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Pennsylvania

Law Enforcement Officer Alert Law.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Alert system."  The Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Officer

Alert System which is established and operated by the

Pennsylvania State Police under section 3.

"Department."  The Department of Transportation of the

Commonwealth.

"Message board."  The electronic message system used by the

Department of Transportation to alert the motoring public to

changes in traffic conditions affecting State highways.

Section 3.  Alert system.

(a)  Establishment.--The Pennsylvania State Police shall

establish and operate the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Officer

Alert System.

(b)  System components.--The alert system shall use the

electronic message boards of the department to request the

assistance of the motoring public in the provision of

information which will assist law enforcement authorities in the

apprehension of any perpetrator who assaults a law enforcement

officer, who wounds a law enforcement officer or kills a law

enforcement officer when that perpetrator is fleeing the crime

scene in a vehicle.

(c)  Information to be displayed.--The alert information

shall contain a description of the alleged perpetrator, a

description of the vehicle, the license plate number of the

vehicle, if available, and the party to be called if the

perpetrator is spotted.

Section 4.  Duties of the Pennsylvania State Police.

In addition to the duties under section 3, the Pennsylvania

State Police shall:

(1)  Coordinate with the department to provide for the

display of the information required under section 3.

(2)  Coordinate with local law enforcement authorities to

activate the alert system and provide for the exchange and

the display of necessary information.

Section 5.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect January 1, 2010.