Porch pirating, prison reform, dog registration: See Pennsylvania’s new laws for 2024
Each U.S. state offers its own set of laws and regulations, and keeping track of them can get even more difficult from year to year as new legislation takes effect.
Pennsylvania’s new laws in 2024 will cover many fields and acts that affect the everyday life of the commonwealth’s residents. Some of the highlights include new penalties for mail and package theft, requirements for fentanyl testing in hospitals and opportunities for automatic voter registration.
Here’s what you need to know about some of Pennsylvania’s newest laws and amendments in 2024.
Crime and public safety
Several new Pennsylvania laws in effect for 2024 hope to curb theft. Notably, Pennsylvania will start punishing “porch pirating” as a felony, imposing specific penalties for those who steal mail, packages, bags or letters. Repeat offenders can receive increased penalties if they have prior mail theft convictions.
Another new law will establish a deputy attorney general within the commonwealth’s Attorney General’s Office. An official in this role will work to lead a team of prosecutors managing retail theft throughout Pennsylvania.
Sweeping reforms are on the way for probation in Pennsylvania, as well, according to Gov. Josh Shapiro. Probation review conferences are now required after two years or upon reaching 50% of a person’s probation sentence, while felony probation reviews kick in after four years or upon reaching 50% of a person’s probation sentence. The law also instructs judges to hold a “presumption against confinement” and send offenders back to jail only if they commit a “serious violation” or are a threat to public safety.
Some notable changes will affect law enforcement. For example, a new law will reduce fitness requirements for prospective police officers, mainly by lowering the target percentiles applicants need to meet for runs, bench presses and sit-ups during fitness evaluations. Another new law will grant the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission the proper authority to conduct fingerprint-based criminal history checks for those applying to become municipal police officers.
Another new law offers a host of updated regulations for incarcerated women. Notably, it prevents pregnant women from being shackled or placed in solitary confinement. Male guards can no longer perform full-body searches of female inmates.
A new law will enter into effect and update some requirements for drivers, including those who fail to stop for school buses flashing red lights as they drop off students. Another law will require insurance entities to conduct cybersecurity risk assessments, develop protocols and report any breaches to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
Earlier in December, Shapiro signed a bill that will result in significant changes to Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana market. The commonwealth’s permitting program now allows all at-home medical marijuana growers to sell products to patients directly after obtaining an additional dispensary permit. Additionally, independent dispensaries can now obtain permits to cultivate their products in-house.
Government
A new law will allow those who renew driver’s licenses or state-issued identification to choose to be automatically registered to vote, though this is not required. The legislation specifies those who are not eligible to vote (such as drivers under the age of 18) will not receive such an option.
More than 20 U.S. states have pledged to implement automatic voter registration in the coming years. In a statement, Shapiro said the initiative will help Pennsylvania’s elections reach more voters.
“Automatic voter registration is a commonsense step to ensure election security and save Pennsylvanians time and tax dollars,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Residents of our Commonwealth already provide proof of identity, residency, age, and citizenship at the DMV — all the information required to register to vote — so it makes good sense to streamline that process with voter registration. My Administration will keep taking innovative actions like this one to make government work better and more efficiently for all Pennsylvanians.”
Another law will help remove racist language in property deeds, such as restrictive deed covenants that prevent sales to people on a racial, ethnic or religious basis. Once effective, the act will allow property owners or homeowners associations to file forms with their local Recorder of Deeds offices to strike restrictive covenants from their deeds without needing to pay a fee.
Education
New laws will allow school districts to modify scheduling to complete school years by either operating for 180 days or accumulating enough instruction time (900 hours at the elementary level or 990 hours at the secondary level). Current law requires schools to be open for at least 180 days in addition to meeting hourly instruction requirements.
By repealing a section of a decades-old public school code, teachers can now wear religious garb, marks, emblems or insignia while at work.
A new amendment will require most Pennsylvania colleges and universities to offer in-state tuition rates to veterans, their spouses and dependent children, so long as students are Pennsylvania residents. Another law will require school districts to develop policies to help children of military members and their spouses receive advance enrollment before establishing residency (should the family receive official orders to move to Pennsylvania).
Pennsylvania’s state-related universities — Penn State, Temple University, Lincoln University and the University of Pittsburgh — are required to disclose more records about their finances, employment and operations. For the most part, the universities remain otherwise exempt from Pennsylvania’s open records law.
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Health
A new Pennsylvania law will require hospitals to include fentanyl testing in urine drug screenings. Health care providers must also obtain specific and informed consent, in written or verbal form, before performing pelvic, rectal or prostate exams.
Insurers must cover preventative breast and ovarian cancer screenings for high-risk women, according to a new law. The act is expected to eliminate out-of-pocket costs associated with such tests.
Other new laws will categorize maternal morbidity complications as reportable events and help former military medics transition to civilian EMT/paramedics by requiring service providers to consider service experience when evaluating professional credentials.
Pets
Several changes are on the way for Pennsylvania’s dog laws.
Notably, dogs must be licensed at three months of age (or when transferred to a new owner). Annual and lifetime dog license and kennel fees will increase, and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has more power to increase license fees.
Pet shops and kennels offering dogs for sale or adoption must display specified information for each dog. The Department of Agriculture can now revoke a kennel’s license or refuse a kennel’s license application if individuals are convicted on animal cruelty charges.
Additionally, dogs deemed “dangerous” by the commonwealth must be muzzled, leashed and under physical restraint in public. The legislation includes additional clarification regarding definitions and penalties for “dangerous” dogs.
Food
New legislation signed in November permanently established PA Preferred Organic, a brand for Pennsylvania-grown organic agricultural products.
Any products bearing the new PA Preferred Organic label meet state and federal requirements for organic production and will receive proper marketing on store shelves.
