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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 1, 2013 12:31 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Bryan Cutler |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Emergency Service Vehicles (Former HB 2189) |
| I will be introducing legislation in the near future which will amend Title 75 (Vehicle Code) and Title 18 (Crimes Code) with respect to the sale of emergency vehicles and impersonation of law enforcement officers. My bill will first amend the Vehicle Code to prohibit the sale of an emergency vehicle equipped with revolving or flashing lights and audible warning systems to any person who is not authorized by law or regulation to operate a vehicle equipped in this manner. The penalty for such a sale is graded as a summary offense, punishable by a fine of $500-$1000. The penalty is increased to a 3rd degree misdemeanor if the seller knows or should have known that the buyer intends to use the vehicle to impersonate a law officer. A 3rd degree misdemeanor is punishable by imprisonment for up to 1 year and a fine of $2,500. The bill will then amend the Crimes Code to establish that a person commits a 3rd degree felony if he or she pretends to be a law enforcement officer with the intent to induce another person to submit to such pretended authority. A 3rd degree felony is punishable by imprisonment of up to 7 years and a fine of up to $15,000. "Law enforcement officer" is defined to include the Pennsylvania State Police and local police; drug enforcement agents of the Attorney General's office; sheriffs and deputy sheriffs;Wildlife and Waterways Conservation Officers;LCB enforcement officers; agents/officers of the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole; Capitol Police; conservation and natural resource rangers; port authority police; campus police; members of the Fort Indiantown Gap police force; and state and county correctional officers. I believe these changes are vitally necessary to ensure the health and safety of the public. This legislation has the support of the PA District Attorney's Association, the PA State Police, the PA Chiefs of Police Association and the PA State Troopers Association. PREVIOUS CO-SPONSORS: AUMENT, BEAR, BOYD, R. BROWN, CARROLL, D. COSTA, P. COSTA, COX, ELLIS, EVERETT, GABLER, GODSHALL, GRELL, GROVE, HACKETT, HICKERNELL, M. K. KELLER, KILLION, KNOWLES, LAWRENCE, MILNE, PEIFER, PERRY, QUINN, ROCK, ROSS, STEPHENS, SWANGER, TOBASH AND VULAKOVICH |