PRINTER'S NO. 3305
No. 2422 Session of 1990
INTRODUCED BY S. H. SMITH, BATTISTO, LASHINGER, CAWLEY, MORRIS,
GEIST, BARLEY, DEMPSEY, PESCI, CARLSON, HERMAN, G. SNYDER,
NOYE, FARMER, ANGSTADT, JACKSON, LANGTRY, MELIO, SERAFINI,
TRELLO, DIETTERICK, STAIRS, CLYMER, STABACK, CORNELL, LEH,
JOHNSON AND J. H. CLARK, APRIL 2, 1990
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, APRIL 2, 1990
AN ACT
1 Requiring State officials to notify designated local officials
2 when certain persons are discharged or released from State
3 facilities.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Citizen Alert
8 Act.
9 Section 2. Definitions.
10 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
11 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
12 context clearly indicates otherwise:
13 "Designated crimes." Murder, aggravated assault, voluntary
14 manslaughter, arson, rape and involuntary deviate sexual assault
15 as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. (relating to crimes and offenses).
16 "Eligible local officials." Chief law enforcement officials,
17 county children and youth directors and county mental health and
1 mental retardation administrators.
2 "State institution or facilities." State correctional
3 institutions, youth development centers, youth forestry camps,
4 State mental hospitals and State mental retardation centers.
5 "State officials." Wardens, superintendents or directors of
6 State institutions or facilities or their designees.
7 Section 3. Duty to notify.
8 (a) Duty of State officials.--State officials are required
9 to notify eligible local officials when a person who has been
10 convicted of a designated crime or found not guilty by reason of
11 insanity and charged with a designated crime is released or
12 discharged from a State institution or facility.
13 (b) Duty of local officials.--Eligible local officials are
14 required to inform the Department of Corrections and the
15 Department of Public Welfare of their interest in being notified
16 when persons are released or discharged to their community
17 pursuant to subsection (a).
18 Section 4. Civil immunity for State and local officials.
19 No cause of action shall arise when a local official has been
20 notified in conformity with section 3 and an illegal act is
21 committed by the person released or discharged from a State
22 institution or facility.
23 Section 5. Effective date.
24 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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