Current Legislative Information – February 2011

From Lee Mitchell…

Here’s a list of bills that I know about pending in the state legislature that may be of interest for the website. Attached are the text of the bill (where available). They are of varying degrees of
relevance to the DRPC members

At the Federal level we may have coming up VERY soon another vote to renew the Patriot Act.

PA 2011-2012 HB 40 — An Act amending Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses)
and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing, in general principles of
justification, for definitions, for use of force in self-protection, for
use of force for the protection of other persons, for grading of theft
offenses and for licenses to carry firearms; and providing for civil
immunity for use of force.

PA 2011-2012 HB 401 — An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial
Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing
for sentences for offenses committed with firearms.

PA 2011-2012 HB 536 — An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial
Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing
for sentences for offenses committed with firearms.

PA 2011-2012 HB 537 — An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of
the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, further providing for the
offense of sale or transfer of firearms and for loans on or lending or
giving firearms prohibited.

PA 2011-2012 HB 575 — A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the
Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, providing for the
right to hunt, fish and harvest game.

PA 2011-2012 HB 576 — An Act providing for recreational hunting on
lands managed by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Now my short description since some of the official titles aren’t that good.

HB 40 is the “Castle Doctrine.” Allows you to defend yourself in your home
without having to retreat. Also protects you from being sued in civil
court if found that your use of force was justified.

HB 401 requires mandatory sentences to be served consecutively. This can
be good or bad particularly with firearms laws. There’s a lot of laws
and sometimes someone may unintentionally violate a stupid law and get
the book thrown at them, while the violations by actual criminals get
dismissed as part of a plea deal. I don’t believe this will actually
help the crime problem. This will give the DA’s more bargaining power
because now instead of throwing out a 5 year minimum sentence that would
have been served simultaneously to another sentence they’ll just be
throwing out a 5 year min sentence that was to be served consecutively.

HB 536 changes the minimum sentences for using a firearm or replica
during a crime.

HB 537 affects lending and gifting firearms.

HB 575 amends constitution to allow hunting. Even though people claim
the federal (or state) right to bear arms deals with hunting and
sporting purposes, it doesn’t.

HB 576 deals with state land used for hunting. I haven’t looked into
this one yet since I don’t personally hunt.