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Committee advances bill to allow state juvenile jurisdiction for crimes on military installations when federal court waives jurisdiction
Summary
House Bill 491 would permit Pennsylvania courts to exercise concurrent juvenile jurisdiction for offenses by children on military installations if federal jurisdiction is waived and the conduct also violates state law; the committee voted unanimously to report the bill.
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously reported House Bill 491, which would add a section to Title 42 allowing Pennsylvania courts to assume concurrent jurisdiction over juvenile offenses that occur on federal military installations when federal authorities waive exclusive jurisdiction and the act is also a state crime.
Committee counsel said the bill adds section 6329 to Title 42 and applies to violations of federal law committed by a child on a military installation; jurisdiction could shift only if the federal court waives jurisdiction and the offense would also be a crime under Commonwealth law. Counsel said the bill takes effect immediately and there were no amendments.
Representative Pielli, the bill sponsor, said the measure is a “simple, common-sense fix” to ensure children who commit offenses on Department of Defense installations have access to Pennsylvania’s juvenile justice resources when appropriate. Pielli said the Department of Defense encouraged the step and that Christopher Arnold from the DOD’s Defense and State Liaison Office provided a letter of support for the bill.
Committee members raised no objections. The secretary recorded the committee’s support as unanimous and the bill was reported as committed to the speaker.
