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HB 131

An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in law enforcement background investigations and employment information, further providing for maintenance of records and for hiring report; and imposing penalties.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Tim Briggs and 9 co-sponsors

The bill requires agencies to report and publicly disclose law enforcement separation records and verifiable disciplinary actions in hiring, tying noncompliance to loss of state fu

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Bill Summary · HB 131

Overview

HB 131 (2025-2026, Pennsylvania) is an act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) to strengthen maintenance of law enforcement separation records, increase transparency through a hiring report, and impose penalties for noncompliance. The bill focuses on accountability for background investigations and hiring decisions involving law enforcement officers, with mandatory reporting, public notices, and loss of state funding or incentives for noncompliant agencies.

Purpose and intent

  • Improve accountability around law enforcement separations and disciplinary history.
  • Ensure prospective employers consider documented disciplinary actions when hiring.
  • Create public visibility into hiring practices and separation records.
  • Link noncompliance to loss of state funding and incentives to encourage adherence.

Key provisions

1) Maintenance of records; penalties for noncompliance (Section 7308)

  • Adds a new subsection stating that a law enforcement agency that fails to enter all relevant separation records into the state database in a timely manner becomes ineligible to receive state funding for equipment, hiring, or overtime.
  • Agencies seeking state funds for violence intervention, victim services, or community engagement programs must obtain approval from the commission if noncompliant.

2) Hiring report requirements (Section 7311)

  • When a prospective employing agency hires an applicant who has separation records with specified issues, the hiring agency must file a report with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) detailing the agency’s rationale for hiring the applicant, addressing each substantiated disciplinary action in defined categories.
  • Substantiated disciplinary actions (and related criminal convictions) fall into categories including:
    • Excessive force
    • Harassment
    • Theft
    • Discrimination
    • Sexual abuse or sexual misconduct
    • Domestic violence
    • Coercion of a false confession
    • Filing a false report
    • Finding of dishonesty (at any level by any authority, including judicial, civil, or administrative)
  • The hiring report must be filed in the commission’s electronic database and on a form developed by the commission, publicly accessible online.

3) Public access and oversight (Section 7311)

  • The commission’s database is subject to the Right-to-Know Law disclosure.
  • The bill allows legislative leaders from both parties to request specific data about agencies participating, records added, allegations, conditional job offers, totals of reports, and hiring outcomes.
  • By January 31 each year, the commission (in coordination with the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency) must publish an annual public report on the database’s effectiveness, including:
    • Number of separation records added
    • Number of separation records with allegations
    • Number of hires despite allegations
    • Other metrics related to reports and applicants

4) Public notice prior to hiring (Section 7311(d))

  • Prospective employers must issue a public notice at least 14 business days before taking formal action to hire a prospective officer who has separation records with substantiated allegations or ongoing investigations of:
    • Excessive force
    • Harassment
    • Theft
    • Discrimination
    • Sexual abuse or misconduct
    • Domestic violence
    • Coercion of a false confession
    • Filing a false report
    • Any finding of dishonesty by any authority (internal/external)

5) Penalties for noncompliance (Section 7311(e))

  • Agencies that hire peace officers without meeting requirements or that fail to include all relevant separation records in the database become ineligible for state grants or other incentives.
  • Municipalities, counties, or other entities with budget authority over law enforcement that hire peace officers in noncompliant manner become ineligible for state money or tax incentives.

Who and what is affected

  • Law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania (state, municipal, county, and other entities employing peace officers).
  • Prospective law enforcement employers who hire officers with documented separation records.
  • The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) as the overseeing body for the database and reporting forms.
  • State funding streams for equipment, hiring, overtime, and certain program funding (violence intervention, victim services, community engagement) that are contingent on compliance.
  • General public via required disclosures and annual accountability reports.

Timeline and effective date

  • The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
  • Annual public reporting deadline: January 31 each year, with ongoing oversight and data publication.

Potential impact

  • Increased transparency in law enforcement hiring and accountability for prior disciplinary actions.
  • Discourages noncompliant practices by tying state funding and incentives to adherence.
  • Provides the public and policymakers with clearer data on staffing decisions and the handling of separation records.
  • Could influence hiring practices, background investigation standards, and public perceptions of law enforcement hiring integrity.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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