PRINTER'S NO. 728
No. 681 Session of 2007
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, RHOADES, MUSTO, ERICKSON, PUNT, KITCHEN, WONDERLING, GORDNER, STACK, FONTANA, LOGAN, STOUT, VANCE, PIPPY, PICCOLA, BAKER, WOZNIAK, RAFFERTY, M. WHITE AND WASHINGTON, MARCH 23, 2007
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MARCH 23, 2007
AN ACT 1 Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the 2 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, establishing a Statewide 3 automated victim information and notification (SAVIN) system. 4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 5 hereby enacts as follows: 6 Section 1. Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated 7 Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read: 8 CHAPTER 96 9 SAVIN SYSTEM 10 Sec. 11 9601. Establishment. 12 9602. Obligation to notify. 13 9603. Updates. 14 9604. Cooperation. 15 9605. Administration. 16 § 9601. Establishment. 17 The Pennsylvania State Police shall establish a Statewide
1 automated victim information and notification (SAVIN) system 2 that will do all of the following: 3 (1) Automatically notify a victim via the victim's 4 choice of telephone, letter or e-mail when an offender housed 5 in a State or county jail: 6 (i) is transferred or assigned to another facility; 7 (ii) is transferred to the custody of another agency 8 outside the State; 9 (iii) is given a different security classification; 10 (iv) is released on temporary leave or otherwise; 11 (v) is discharged; 12 (vi) has escaped; or 13 (vii) has been served with a protective order that 14 was requested by the victim. 15 (2) Automatically notify a victim via the victim's 16 choice of telephone, letter or e-mail when an offender has: 17 (i) an upcoming court event where the victim is 18 entitled to be present; 19 (ii) an upcoming parole or pardon hearing; or 20 (iii) a change in status of the offender's parole or 21 probation status, including a change in the offender's 22 supervision status and a change in the offender's 23 address. 24 (3) Automatically notify a victim via the victim's 25 choice of telephone, letter or e-mail when a sex offender 26 has: 27 (i) updated the offender's profile information under 28 Chapter 97 (relating to sentencing); or 29 (ii) become noncompliant with registration 30 requirements of Chapter 97. 20070S0681B0728 - 2 -
1 (4) Permit a victim to receive the most recent status 2 report for an offender in a State or county jail or sex 3 offender registry by calling the SAVIN system on a toll-free 4 telephone number and by accessing the SAVIN system through an 5 Internet website. 6 (5) Give victims an option to have live operator 7 assistance to use the SAVIN program on a 24-hour-a-day, 365- 8 day-per-year basis. 9 (6) Permit a victim to register to use or to update the 10 victim's registration information for the SAVIN system by 11 calling a toll-free telephone number or accessing an Internet 12 website. 13 § 9602. Obligation to notify. 14 Participation in the SAVIN program and making offender and 15 case data available on a timely basis to the SAVIN program shall 16 satisfy the obligation to notify a victim of an offender's 17 custody status and the status of the offender's upcoming court 18 events. 19 § 9603. Updates. 20 The Pennsylvania State Police shall ensure that the offender 21 information contained within the automated victim notification 22 system is updated frequently enough to timely notify a victim 23 that an offender has been released, has been discharged or has 24 escaped. However, failure to provide notice to the victim shall 25 not establish a cause of action by the victim against State or 26 local officials or against the Pennsylvania State Police. 27 § 9604. Cooperation. 28 Local law enforcement officers shall cooperate with the 29 Pennsylvania State Police in establishing and maintaining the 30 automated victim information and notification system. 20070S0681B0728 - 3 -
1 § 9605. Administration. 2 The Pennsylvania State Police shall administer the automated 3 victim information and notification system. The costs of 4 administering the system shall be paid with appropriations made 5 to the Pennsylvania State Police and from Federal grants and 6 contracts. 7 Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately. L29L42JS/20070S0681B0728 - 4 -