LEGISLATIVE MEMORANDUM & CONSTITUENT PETITION TO INCLUDE STATE CONSTABLES
The Honorable Ed Neilson, Chair, House Transportation Committee The Honorable Lisa Baker, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee
In light of current law enforcement officer shortages, it's important to equip current Law Enforcement officers with the tools needed to perform their functions
Petition by
To:
The Honorable Ed Neilson, Chair, House Transportation Committee The Honorable Lisa Baker, Chair, Senate Judiciary Committee
From:
[Your Name]
Petition to Amend HB 2479 & HB 2299: Ensure Field Safety and Legal Consistency for Pennsylvania Constables
To the Honorable Members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly:
The House Transportation Committee, Chaired by Representative Ed Neilson (Regarding HB 2479)
The Senate Judiciary Committee, Chaired by Senator Lisa Baker (Regarding HB 2299)
THE PETITION PREAMBLE
We, the undersigned registered voters, residents, and stakeholders of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, respectfully urge our lawmakers to advance two critical, common-sense safety amendments to pending legislation regarding the statutory protections, definitions, and operational safety of certified Pennsylvania State Constables.
Certified Pennsylvania State Constables consistently operate in identical high-risk field environments as municipal police and county law enforcement officers. Constables are routinely tasked with executing high-risk judicial warrants, conducting civil evictions, processing criminal defendants, and conducting prisoner transports. Despite these identical operational risks, current gaps and ambiguities in the statutory language of the Vehicle Code and Judicial Procedure codes leave Constables exposed, under-protected, and restricted in their ability to protect the public.
To ensure public safety, operational transparency, and absolute statutory consistency across the Commonwealth, we request the following specific amendments to House Bill 2479 and House Bill 2299:
THE DUAL LEGISLATIVE DEMANDS
1. AMEND HB 2479 (Title 75 - Emergency Vehicle Classifications)
The Action: Expand the definition of "Emergency Vehicle" in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 to include vehicles operated by certified Constables to protect motorists, pedestrians, and officers during mobile field operations and prisoner transit.
The Specific Wording Request:
"Include any vehicle registered to a Constable's official peacekeeping LLC entity, or municipality-owned, driven by a certified Pennsylvania State Constable while actively engaged in official law enforcement, prisoner transport, or judicial peacekeeping duties."
2. AMEND HB 2299 (Title 18 & Title 42 - Body-Worn Camera & Peace Officer Clarity)
The Action: As HB 2299 updates law enforcement recording and surveillance parameters for field personnel, it must explicitly clear up any lingering statutory ambiguity surrounding certified Constables who frequently utilize modern, identical body-worn camera networks to maintain transparency.
The Specific Wording Request:
"Further amend Title 18, Chapter 57 and Title 42, Chapter 67 to clarify that the definition of a 'law enforcement officer' or 'peace officer' utilizing recording interfaces in the performance of official duties explicitly includes certified Pennsylvania State Constables while actively engaged in warrant executions, prisoner transports, and municipal peacekeeping operations."
OUR CALL TO ACTION
By signing below, we formally state that certified Pennsylvania State Constables are an indispensable component of our judicial and municipal safety infrastructure. We demand that the General Assembly pass these targeted amendments to give Constables the standard safety tools, protective vehicle classifications, and transparent recording frameworks required to safely execute the orders of the Pennsylvania courts