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PRINTER'S NO. 1785
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.
1546
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY FARRY, JUNE 11, 2021
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON VETERANS AFFAIRS AND EMERGENCY
PREPAREDNESS, JUNE 11, 2021
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in other offenses, providing for
confidentiality of personal information for public safety
officials.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
ยง 7507.2. Confidentiality of personal information for public
safety officials.
(a) General rule.--
(1) No person shall publicly post, publicly display or
provide to a third party the home address or telephone number
of any public safety official or of any public safety
official's spouse or child knowing that the person is a
public safety official and that a third party is only seeking
information because of the public safety official's
occupation and may cause to harm or threaten to harm the
public safety official or the public safety official's spouse
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or child.
(2) No person, business or association shall solicit,
sell or trade on the Internet the home address or telephone
number of a public safety official that may cause harm to the
public safety official or to any person residing at the
public safety official's home address.
(b) Penalty.--
(1) A violation of subsection (a) is a misdemeanor of
the third degree, if there is no bodily injury of the public
safety official or the person's spouse or child.
(2) A violation of subsection (a) that leads to the
bodily injury of the public safety official or the person's
spouse or child is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(c) Right to action.--
(1) Notwithstanding any other law, a public safety
official whose home address or telephone number is solicited,
sold or traded in violation of this section may bring an
action in a court of competent jurisdiction.
(2) If a jury or court finds that a violation has
occurred, damages shall be awarded to the public safety
official in an amount up to a maximum of three times the
actual damages, but not less than $2,000.
(d) Definitions.--The following words and phrases when used
in this section shall have the meanings given to them in this
subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Public safety official." An individual referred to in
section 2702(c) (relating to aggravated assault), except
paragraphs (22), (26), (33) and (36). The term includes any
person who is determined to be a law enforcement officer for
purposes of the act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as
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the Right-to-Know Law. The term excludes an individual who is a
candidate for or holds an elective office.
"Publicly display" and "publicly post." To intentionally
communicate or otherwise make available to the general public,
including on the Internet.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 90 days.
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