PRINTER'S NO. 843
No. 751 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY C. WILLIAMS, YOUNGBLOOD, DeWEESE, ROONEY, ITKIN,
MUNDY, STURLA, BUXTON, BEBKO-JONES, TANGRETTI, ROEBUCK,
JOSEPHS, KIRKLAND, MIHALICH AND CURRY, MARCH 11, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 11, 1997
AN ACT
1 Requiring municipal police to report to the Office of Attorney
2 General actions taken to prevent and combat anti-abortion and
3 anticontraception violence; giving the Attorney General
4 certain investigative and prosecutorial powers; requiring
5 reports to the General Assembly; and making an appropriation.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Short title.
9 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Reproduction
10 Rights Protection Act.
11 Section 2. Definitions.
12 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
13 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
14 context clearly indicates otherwise:
15 "Municipality." A county, city, borough, incorporated town
16 or township, or any local government operating under the act of
17 April 13, 1972 (P.L.184, No.62), known as the Home Rule Charter
18 and Optional Plans Law.
19 "Reproductive health care." Health care sought or provided
1 in connection with pregnancy, contraception or abortion as
2 permitted by law.
3 Section 3. Police abortion violence reports.
4 The police in every municipality shall provide a summary
5 report to the Office of Attorney General on actions taken to
6 prevent and combat anti-abortion and anticontraception violence,
7 including, but not limited to, the following:
8 (1) All criminal violations, including arson, criminal
9 mischief, defiant trespass, disorderly conduct, harassment
10 and trespass, which involve interference or intended
11 interference with an individual's access to or ability to
12 obtain reproductive health care or with the ability of a
13 health care provider to provide reproductive health care.
14 (2) Action taken by the police in relation to each
15 incident of reproductive health care interference.
16 (3) The extraordinary expenses incurred by the
17 municipality in order to supply adequate police response to
18 interference with reproductive health care, including
19 overtime paid to increase the police response.
20 Section 4. Concurrent jurisdiction.
21 The Attorney General shall have concurrent jurisdiction:
22 (1) with the local law enforcement agencies to
23 investigate all incidents in this Commonwealth involving
24 interference with an individual's access to or ability to
25 obtain reproductive health care or with the ability of a
26 health care provider to provide reproductive health care; and
27 (2) with the district attorney in any county for any
28 criminal charges involving interference with reproductive
29 health care, to the same extent as cases provided in section
30 205 of the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known
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1 as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act.
2 Section 5. Legislative abortion violence reports.
3 On or before December 31, 1997, and each year thereafter, the
4 Attorney General shall make a report to the General Assembly
5 which shall include the following:
6 (1) The number of incidents of criminal charges
7 involving interference with reproductive health care.
8 (2) The action taken by the police in relation to each
9 criminal charge involving reproductive health care
10 interference.
11 (3) The action taken by the Attorney General or district
12 attorney or other law enforcement agency in relation to each
13 criminal charge involving reproductive health care
14 interference.
15 (4) The extraordinary expenses incurred by the
16 municipality in order to supply adequate police response to
17 interference with reproductive health care, including
18 overtime paid to increase the police response.
19 (5) A written plan formulated by the police and the
20 Office of Attorney General designed:
21 (i) to protect the safety of women seeking
22 reproductive health care and health care providers; and
23 (ii) to ensure safe ingress and egress by patients
24 and staff to reproductive health care facilities.
25 Section 6. Appropriation.
26 The sum of $50,000 is hereby appropriated to the Office of
27 Attorney General for the fiscal year July 1, 1997, to June 30,
28 1998, to carry out this act. This shall be a continuing
29 appropriation and shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year.
30 Section 7. Effective date.
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1 This act shall take effect immediately.
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