THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE BILL

INTRODUCED BY ORIE, LOGAN, RAFFERTY, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, FARNESE, PIPPY, ALLOWAY, STACK AND WARD, JULY 6, 2009

REFERRED TO LAW AND JUSTICE, JULY 6, 2009  

AN ACT

Providing for law enforcement officer residency requirements.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Law

Enforcement Officer Residency Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Law enforcement officer."  A person employed by a

municipality to provide law enforcement services on behalf of

the municipality. The term includes a person employed to provide

law enforcement services for a regional police force in this

Commonwealth.

"Municipality."  A city, borough, township or municipal

authority in this Commonwealth.

Section 3.  Residency requirements.

(a)  Municipal residency.--Notwithstanding any other

provision of law to the contrary, no municipality may require

its law enforcement officers to be residents of the municipality

in order to serve in the capacity of a law enforcement officer.

(b)  Commonwealth residency.--A municipality may require its

law enforcement officers to be residents of this Commonwealth.

(c)  United States citizenship.--This act shall not be

construed to affect any law that requires law enforcement

officers of a municipality to be citizens of the United States

or that imposes eligibility requirements other than residency

for law enforcement officers.

Section 4.  Applicability.

This act shall not be construed to conflict with any existing

collective bargaining agreement. This act shall apply to any

collective bargaining agreement executed after the effective

date of this act.

Section 5.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect in 60 days.