Bill Text: PA SB1083 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Further providing for arson and related offenses.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-3)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-05-24 - Referred to JUDICIARY [SB1083 Detail]

Download: Pennsylvania-2011-SB1083-Introduced.html

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PRINTER'S NO. 1257
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 1083 Session of2011
INTRODUCED BY DINNIMAN, RAFFERTY, EICHELBERGER, FONTANA, MENSCH, SOLOBAY, TARTAGLIONE AND WASHINGTON, MAY 24, 2011
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, MAY 24, 2011
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, further providing for arson and
related offenses.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 3301 of Title 18 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
§ 3301. Arson and related offenses.
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(h.2) Background checks for prospective firefighters.--An
applicant for certification under 35 Pa.C.S. § 7384 (relating to
Pennsylvania State Fire Academy) for employment as a
firefighter, or an individual seeking to join a volunteer fire
company as a firefighter, shall be required to submit to a
criminal history background investigation which shall include
records of criminal arrests and convictions, no matter where
occurring, including Federal criminal history record
information, prior to being enrolled in a firefighter training
program or offered employment as a firefighter or membership in
a volunteer fire company. The applicant shall submit to
fingerprinting by the Pennsylvania State Police or by a local
law enforcement agency capable of submitting fingerprints
electronically to the Pennsylvania State Police utilizing the
Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System or in a
manner and in such form as may be provided by the Pennsylvania
State Police. Fingerprinting under this part shall require, at a
minimum, submission of a full set of fingerprints. The
Pennsylvania State Police shall submit the fingerprints to the
Federal Bureau of Investigation for purposes of verifying the
identity of the applicant and obtaining records of criminal
arrests and convictions and shall provide the same to the
municipality or volunteer fire company. Fingerprints obtained
under this subsection may be maintained by the Pennsylvania
State Police for general law enforcement purposes. The costs of
fingerprinting and completion of the criminal background
investigation shall be paid by the applicant, except that
nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
municipality in which the individual is seeking employment or in
which the volunteer fire company is located from paying for the
cost of the fingerprinting and criminal background investigation
or from reimbursing the individual for such costs. A criminal
history background investigation completed under this subsection
shall be valid for 45 days.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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