PRINTER'S NO. 446
No. 434 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY BOSCOLA, WOZNIAK, WAGNER, COSTA, MELLOW, BELL,
MUSTO, WAUGH, LOGAN, RHOADES, KASUNIC AND STACK,
FEBRUARY 12, 2001
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 12, 2001
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
2 Consolidated Statutes, further providing for willful
3 obstruction of emergency telephone calls.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Section 6902 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
7 Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
8 § 6902. Willful obstruction of emergency telephone calls.
9 (a) Offense defined.--
10 (1) A person is guilty of a summary offense if he
11 willfully refuses to relinquish immediately a party line when
12 informed that the line is needed for an emergency call to a
13 fire department or police department or for medical aid or
14 ambulance service, or if he secures the use of a party line
15 by falsely stating that the line is needed for an emergency
16 call.
17 (2) A person commits a misdemeanor of the third degree
18 if he willfully interferes with or prevents a person from
1 making an emergency call to a fire department, police
2 department, 911 system or public safety answering point.
3 (b) Notice to public.--Every telephone directory distributed
4 to the members of the general public in this Commonwealth, or in
5 any portion thereof, which lists the calling numbers of
6 telephones of any telephone exchange located in this
7 Commonwealth, shall contain a notice which explains the offense
8 provided for in this section. The notice shall be printed in
9 type which is not smaller than the smallest other type on the
10 same page, and to be preceded by the word "warning" printed in
11 type at least as large as the largest type on the same page. The
12 provisions of this subsection shall not apply to those
13 directories distributed solely for business advertising purposes
14 commonly known as classified directories. Any person, providing
15 telephone service which distributes, or causes to be
16 distributed, in this Commonwealth copies of a telephone
17 directory violating the provisions of this subsection, shall be
18 guilty of a summary offense.
19 (c) Definitions.--As used in this section, the following
20 words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this
21 subsection:
22 "911 system." A system which permits a person dialing 911 by
23 telephone to be connected to a public safety answering point,
24 via normal telephone facilities, for the reporting of police,
25 fire, medical or other emergency situations.
26 "Emergency." A situation in which property or human life are
27 in jeopardy and the prompt summoning of aid is essential.
28 "Party line." A subscriber's line telephone circuit,
29 consisting of two or more main telephone stations connected
30 therewith each station with a distinctive ring or telephone
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1 number.
2 "Public safety answering point." The first point at which
3 calls for emergency assistance from individuals are answered,
4 operated 24 hours a day.
5 Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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