SENATE AMENDED PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1430, 1804, 2435, PRINTER'S NO. 4193 2680, 2774, 2680, 3737, 3863, 3989
No. 1272 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY OLIVER, GODSHALL, CALTAGIRONE, REBER, DONATUCCI, McCALL, BISHOP, RIEGER, L. I. COHEN, YOUNGBLOOD, CURRY, PETRONE, STABACK, TRELLO, ITKIN, JOSEPHS, LEDERER, MELIO, M. COHEN, GIGLIOTTI, WASHINGTON, ROEBUCK, SHANER, BUNT, RAYMOND, TRICH, PRESTON, A. H. WILLIAMS AND SAINATO, APRIL 9, 1997
SENATE AMENDMENTS TO HOUSE AMENDMENTS, NOVEMBER 24, 1998
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania 2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the possession <-- 3 of weapons on school property, for aggravated assault; AND <-- 4 for terroristic threats and for institutional vandalism; <-- 5 providing for retaliation against prosecutor or judicial 6 official. and further providing for restriction on operating <-- 7 privileges. 8 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 9 hereby enacts as follows: 10 Section 1. Sections 912 and SECTION 2702(a)(5) and (c) of <-- 11 Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are IS <-- 12 amended 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-
1 chuck stick, firearm, shotgun, rifle and any other tool, 2 instrument or implement capable of inflicting serious bodily 3 injury. 4 (b) Offense defined.--A person commits a misdemeanor of the 5 first degree if he possesses a weapon in the buildings of, on 6 the grounds of, or in any conveyance providing transportation to 7 or from any elementary or secondary publicly-funded educational 8 institution, any elementary or secondary private school licensed 9 by the Department of Education or any elementary or secondary 10 parochial school. 11 (b.1) Firearms.-- 12 (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), a person who 13 commits an offense under subsection (b) while in the 14 possession of a firearm as defined in section 6102 (relating 15 to definitions), commits a felony of the third degree. 16 (2) A person who commits an offense under subsection (b) 17 while in the possession of a firearm as defined in section 18 6102 and who is otherwise eligible to possess a valid license 19 as defined in section 6109 (relating to licenses), commits a 20 misdemeanor of the first degree. 21 (c) Defense.--It shall be a defense that the weapon is 22 possessed and used in conjunction with a lawful supervised 23 school activity or course or is possessed for other lawful 24 purpose. 25 § 2702. Aggravated assault. 26 (a) Offense defined.--A person is guilty of aggravated 27 assault if he: 28 * * * 29 (5) attempts to cause or intentionally or knowingly 30 causes bodily injury to a [teaching staff member,] school <-- 19970H1272B4193 - 2 -
1 board member[,] OR other employee [or student], INCLUDING A <-- 2 STUDENT EMPLOYEE, of any elementary or secondary publicly- 3 funded educational institution, any elementary or secondary 4 private school licensed by the Department of Education or any 5 elementary or secondary parochial school while acting in the 6 scope of his or her employment or because of his or her 7 employment relationship to the school; or 8 * * * 9 (c) Officers, employees, etc., enumerated.--The officers, 10 agents, employees and other persons referred to in subsection 11 (a) shall be as follows: 12 (1) Police officer. 13 (2) Firefighter. 14 (3) County adult probation or parole officer. 15 (4) County juvenile probation or parole officer. 16 (5) An agent of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and 17 Parole. 18 (6) Sheriff. 19 (7) Deputy sheriff. 20 (8) Liquor control enforcement agent. 21 (9) Officer or employee of a correctional institution, 22 county jail or prison, juvenile detention center or any other 23 facility to which the person has been ordered by the court 24 pursuant to a petition alleging delinquency under 42 Pa.C.S. 25 Ch. 63 (relating to juvenile matters). 26 (10) Judge of any court in the unified judicial system. 27 (11) The Attorney General. 28 (12) A deputy attorney general. 29 (13) A district attorney. 30 (14) An assistant district attorney. 19970H1272B4193 - 3 -
1 (15) A public defender. 2 (16) An assistant public defender. 3 (17) A Federal law enforcement official. 4 (18) A State law enforcement official. 5 (19) A local law enforcement official. 6 (20) Any person employed to assist or who assists any 7 Federal, State or local law enforcement official. 8 (21) Emergency medical services personnel. 9 (22) Parking enforcement officer. 10 (23) A district justice. 11 (24) A constable. 12 (25) A deputy constable. 13 (26) A psychiatric aide. 14 (27) A teaching staff member, A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OR <-- 15 OTHER EMPLOYEE, INCLUDING A STUDENT EMPLOYEE, OF ANY 16 ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY PUBLICLY FUNDED EDUCATIONAL 17 INSTITUTION, ANY ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY PRIVATE SCHOOL 18 LICENSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OR ANY ELEMENTARY OR 19 SECONDARY PAROCHIAL SCHOOL WHILE ACTING IN THE SCOPE OF HIS 20 OR HER EMPLOYMENT OR BECAUSE OF HIS OR HER EMPLOYMENT 21 RELATIONSHIP TO THE SCHOOL. 22 * * * 23 Section 2. Sections 2706 and 3307 of Title 18 are amended by <-- 24 adding subsections to read: 25 § 2706. Terroristic threats. 26 * * * 27 (d) School terroristic threats.--The school superintendent 28 or chief administrator shall report terroristic threats of 29 violent acts occurring within school grounds to local law 30 enforcement officers. 19970H1272B4193 - 4 -
1 § 3307. Institutional vandalism. 2 * * * 3 (c) Action to recover damages.-- 4 (1) Where the damages to school property exceed $1,000 5 from an incident of vandalism and if the offender has 6 willfully or recklessly damaged school district property or 7 has willfully or recklessly committed acts against school 8 district property cognizable as an offense under subsection 9 (a)(3), as it relates to a school or educational facility, 10 then unless a legally binding settlement agreement has been 11 entered into between the parties assuring that restitution 12 will be made, the board of school directors of the school 13 district owning the damaged property shall institute a civil 14 action to recover compensatory damages not exceeding $50,000 15 plus court costs and attorney fees from the offender or from 16 the parents or legal guardian of the offender if the offender 17 is a minor. A finding of willful damage shall not be 18 dependent upon: 19 (i) a prior finding that the offender, if a minor, 20 is delinquent or is a dependent child; or 21 (ii) the offender's conviction of any prior criminal 22 offense. 23 (2) If a court renders a judgment under this subsection 24 in favor of a board of school directors of a school district, 25 the court shall order full restitution unless the board and 26 the offender or the parent or legal guardian of the minor 27 agree that the offender, or the minor and the parent or legal 28 guardian, will perform community service in lieu of full 29 payment of the judgment. 30 (3) If an agreement for community service is reached 19970H1272B4193 - 5 -
1 under paragraph (2), the court shall order the offender, and 2 in the case of a minor offender may also order the parents or 3 legal guardian of the minor offender, to make payment of 4 money and to perform such community service as has been 5 agreed to by the parties as equating to full restitution. In 6 the order, the court: 7 (i) shall specify the amount to be paid by the 8 offender, or by the minor offender and the parents or 9 legal guardian, and the number of hours of community 10 service to be performed; 11 (ii) may designate a specific type of community 12 service or delegate the service to an established 13 community service program; and 14 (iii) may specify any other conditions necessary to 15 carry out the order. 16 (4) Where the damages to school property are $1,000 or 17 less, the board of school directors of the school district 18 owning the damaged property may institute a civil action to 19 recover compensatory damages and the liability of a parent or 20 legal guardian for the actions of a minor offender shall be 21 premised upon the provisions of 23 Pa.C.S. Ch. 55 (relating 22 to liability for tortious acts of children). Notwithstanding 23 the provisions of 23 Pa.C.S. § 5505(b) (relating to monetary 24 limits of liability), for amounts in excess of $1,000, the 25 liability of a parent or legal guardian for the actions of a 26 minor offender shall be premised upon a finding that the 27 parent or legal guardian failed to exercise reasonable and 28 diligent supervision of the minor, which would likely have 29 prevented the occurrence of the damage. 30 Section 3 2. Title 18 is amended by adding a section to <-- 19970H1272B4193 - 6 -
1 read: 2 § 4953.1. Retaliation against prosecutor or judicial official. 3 (a) Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he 4 harms or attempts to harm another or the tangible property of 5 another by any unlawful act in retaliation for anything lawfully 6 done in the official capacity of a prosecutor or judicial 7 official. 8 (b) Grading.--The offense is a felony of the second degree 9 if: 10 (1) The actor employs force, violence or deception, or 11 attempts or threatens to employ force, violence or deception, 12 upon the prosecutor or judicial official or, with the 13 requisite intent or knowledge, upon any other person. 14 (2) The actor's conduct is in furtherance of a 15 conspiracy to retaliate against a prosecutor or judicial 16 official. 17 (3) The actor solicits another to or accepts or agrees 18 to accept any pecuniary or other benefit to retaliate against 19 a prosecutor or judicial official. 20 (4) The actor has suffered any prior conviction for any 21 violation of this title or any predecessor law hereto, or has 22 been convicted, under any Federal statute or statute of any 23 other state, of an act which would be a violation of this 24 title if committed in this Commonwealth. 25 (5) The actor causes property damage or loss in excess 26 of $1,000. 27 Otherwise the offense is a misdemeanor of the first degree. 28 (c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following 29 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this 30 subsection: 19970H1272B4193 - 7 -
1 "Judicial official." Any person who is a: 2 (1) judge of the court of common pleas; 3 (2) judge of the Commonwealth Court; 4 (3) judge of the Superior Court; 5 (4) justice of the Supreme Court; 6 (5) district justice; 7 (6) judge of the Pittsburgh Magistrate's Court; 8 (7) judge of the Philadelphia Municipal Court; 9 (8) judge of the Traffic Court of Philadelphia; or 10 (9) master appointed by a judge of a court of common 11 pleas. 12 "Prosecutor." Any person who is: 13 (1) an Attorney General; 14 (2) a deputy attorney general; 15 (3) a district attorney; or 16 (4) an assistant district attorney. 17 Section 4. Section 6310.4(a) of Title 18 is amended to read: <-- 18 § 6310.4. Restriction of operating privileges. 19 (a) General rule.--Whenever a person is convicted or is 20 adjudicated delinquent or is admitted to any preadjudication 21 program for a violation of section 2706 (relating to terroristic 22 threats), 3307 (relating to institutional vandalism), 6307 23 (relating to misrepresentation of age to secure liquor or malt 24 or brewed beverages), 6308 (relating to purchase, consumption, 25 possession or transportation of liquor or malt or brewed 26 beverages) or 6310.3 (relating to carrying a false 27 identification card), the court, including a court not of record 28 if it is exercising jurisdiction pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 29 1515(a) (relating to jurisdiction and venue), shall order the 30 operating privilege of the person suspended. A copy of the order 19970H1272B4193 - 8 -
1 shall be transmitted to the Department of Transportation. 2 * * * 3 Section 5. This act shall take effect as follows: 4 (1) The amendment of 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 2702, 2706, 3307 and 5 6310.4 shall take effect in 60 days. 6 (2) The remainder of this act shall take effect 7 immediately. 8 SECTION 3. THIS ACT SHALL TAKE EFFECT IN 60 DAYS. <-- D7L18JRW/19970H1272B4193 - 9 -