SENATE AMENDED
PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 248, 1381 PRINTER'S NO. 1989
No. 243 Session of 1981
INTRODUCED BY J. L. WRIGHT, BURNS, SEVENTY, STAIRS,
W. D. HUTCHINSON, TELEK, CLYMER AND ITKIN, JANUARY 27, 1981
SENATOR GEKAS, JUDICIARY, IN SENATE, AS AMENDED, JUNE 23, 1981
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, extending exceptions to prohibition on
3 interception and disclosure of communications to the
4 Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and to certain
5 personnel of public utilities.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Paragraph (3) of section 5704 of Title 18, act of
9 November 25, 1970 (P.L.707, No.230), known as the Pennsylvania
10 Consolidated Statutes, is amended and a paragraph is added to
11 read:
12 § 5704. Exceptions to prohibition on interception and
13 disclosure of communications.
14 It shall not be unlawful under this chapter for:
15 * * *
16 (3) Police and emergency communications systems to
17 record telephone communications coming into and going out of
18 the communications system of THE PENNSYLVANIA EMERGENCY <--
1 MANAGEMENT AGENCY OR police department, fire department[,]
2 Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency or county emergency <--
3 center, if:
4 (i) the telephones thereof are limited to the
5 exclusive use of the communication system for
6 administrative purposes and provided the communication
7 system employs a periodic warning which indicates to the
8 parties to the conversation that the call is being
9 recorded;
10 (ii) all recordings made pursuant to this clause,
11 all notes made therefrom, and all transcriptions thereof
12 may be destroyed at any time, unless required with regard
13 to a pending matter; and
14 (iii) at least one nonrecorded telephone line is
15 made available for public use at THE PENNSYLVANIA <--
16 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY AND AT each police
17 department, fire department, Pennsylvania Emergency <--
18 Management Agency or county emergency center.
19 * * *
20 (6) Personnel of any public utility to record telephone
21 conversations with utility customers or the general public
22 relating to receiving and dispatching of emergency and
23 service calls provided there is, during such recording, a
24 periodic warning which indicates to the parties to the
25 conversation that the call is being recorded.
26 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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