PRINTER'S NO. 3670
No. 2496 Session of 2006
INTRODUCED BY MANN, ADOLPH, ALLEN, BALDWIN, BEBKO-JONES,
BELFANTI, BEYER, BOYD, BUNT, BUXTON, CLYMER, COHEN, COSTA,
CRAHALLA, DALLY, DENLINGER, DeWEESE, DiGIROLAMO, DIVEN,
DONATUCCI, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FEESE, FICHTER, FLEAGLE,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GABIG, GEIST, GINGRICH, GODSHALL, GOOD,
GOODMAN, GRUCELA, HARPER, HARRIS, HASAY, HERSHEY, HESS,
JAMES, KAUFFMAN, M. KELLER, W. KELLER, KENNEY, LEACH,
LEDERER, MAHER, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, R. MILLER,
S. MILLER, MUNDY, MUSTIO, NAILOR, O'NEILL, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PETRI, PHILLIPS, PISTELLA, PYLE, QUIGLEY, RAYMOND, READSHAW,
REED, REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, SAINATO, SAYLOR, SCHRODER, SEMMEL,
SHANER, SIPTROTH, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STURLA, TANGRETTI,
TIGUE, WANSACZ, WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, WRIGHT AND
YOUNGBLOOD, MARCH 13, 2006
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 13, 2006
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for disrupting
3 meetings and processions.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 5508 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 5508. Disrupting meetings [and], processions, gatherings and
9 commemorative services.
10 (a) Offense defined.--A person commits [a misdemeanor of the
11 third degree] an offense if, with intent to prevent or disrupt a
12 lawful meeting, procession [or], gathering or commemorative
1 service, he disturbs or interrupts it.
2 (b) Grading.--
3 (1) Except as otherwise provided under paragraph (2), an
4 offense under subsection (a) is a misdemeanor of the third
5 degree.
6 (2) A second or subsequent offense under subsection (a)
7 involving a commemorative service is a misdemeanor of the
8 second degree.
9 (c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
10 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
11 subsection:
12 "Commemorative service." A group of individuals who
13 assemble:
14 (1) At a cemetery during a burial or memorial service
15 for a specific deceased person, to mourn or honor the
16 deceased person or to pay respect to the family of the
17 deceased person.
18 (2) In a building during the viewing, visitation or
19 memorial service of a specific deceased person, to mourn or
20 honor the deceased person or to pay respect to the family of
21 the deceased person.
22 (3) To participate in a procession to a place of final
23 disposition or building in which a viewing, visitation or
24 memorial service of a specific deceased person is to be
25 conducted, to mourn or honor the deceased person or to pay
26 respect to the family of the deceased person.
27 "Disturbs or interrupts." In reference to a commemorative
28 service, the term includes, but is not limited to, any act that
29 tends to obstruct or interfere with the commemorative service by
30 making:
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1 (1) within 500 feet of the entrance to the cemetery, of
2 the burial plot or vault in which the deceased person is to
3 be interred, of the building in which the commemorative
4 service is to be conducted or of the route along which the
5 commemorative service procession is to be conducted; and
6 (2) within one hour prior to the commencement of the
7 commemorative service until one hour after the conclusion of
8 the commemorative service;
9 any utterance, gesture or display designed to outrage ordinary
10 family sensibilities.
11 "Gathering." The term includes, but is not limited to, a
12 commemorative service.
13 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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