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Committee reports bill expanding aggravated-assault protections for municipal workers
Summary
House Bill 956 would add municipalities and other local entities to the list of protected persons in aggravated-assault statute; the committee reported the bill as amended, 22-4, after debate about deterrence and prevention.
Representative Kenyatta presented House Bill 956 as an effort to extend aggravated-assault protections to a broader set of public employees and local government entities.
“...we should be saying to all workers, particularly folks that serve the public, that we're gonna do everything we can to have their back,” Representative Kenyatta said, urging the committee to expand statutory protections beyond individual job descriptions.
Committee counsel explained HB 956 would amend Title 18, Section 2702(c), by adding counties, cities, boroughs, towns, townships, home rule municipalities and optional plan/charter municipalities to the list of enumerated persons for aggravated assault. An amendment adopted in committee also added municipal authorities.
Representative Kinkade objected to the measure on the grounds that enlarging the statute’s list of protected persons does not by itself deter assaults and that prevention and direct protections should be the focus. Kinkade said, “No one knows what the punishment for any offense is” in practical terms and argued the bill offers a symbolic but insufficient deterrent.
Chairman Kaufman said he would support the amendment in a bipartisan spirit. The committee recorded the vote on the amended bill, and counsel announced that the amendment passed 24-2 and that the bill as amended passed the committee by a vote of 22-4. The committee will report the bill as amended to the floor.
