An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for actions not permissible in a courthouse; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO. 2956
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2259
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY KINKEAD, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, FRIEL, KHAN, PIELLI,
HANBIDGE, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, RIVERA, BOYD,
BOROWSKI, MADDEN, O'MARA, SHUSTERMAN, WARREN, D. WILLIAMS,
BENHAM, MAYES, WAXMAN, GUENST, KENYATTA AND PARKER,
MARCH 2, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 3, 2026
AN ACT
Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for actions not
permissible in a courthouse; and imposing penalties.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 30
ACTIONS NOT PERMISSIBLE IN A COURTHOUSE
Sec.
3001. Definitions.
3002. Civil arrest on courthouse grounds.
3003. Protected travel to court proceedings.
3004. Use of facial coverings on courthouse property.
3005. Protected personal information.
§ 3001. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
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shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Court." A court within the unified judicial system as
described in section 301 (relating to unified judicial system).
"Court companion." An individual whose purpose is to
support, assist or accompany an individual who is going to,
remaining at or returning from a court proceeding. The term
includes:
(1) a spouse, domestic partner or individual who has a
dating or engagement relationship with the party, witness or
potential witness;
(2) a biological parent, foster parent, adoptive parent
or stepparent of a party, witness or potential witness;
(3) a minor child or other individual under the care of
a party, witness or potential witness;
(4) an interpreter, translator or individual assisting
the party, witness or potential witness with reading or
completing court forms or other documents;
(5) an individual providing health care or assistance to
a party, witness or potential witness to allow that
individual to participate in the court proceeding;
(6) a case manager or social worker for the party,
witness or potential witness;
(7) a domestic violence or sexual assault advocate; and
(8) an individual transporting a party, witness or
potential witness to or from the court proceeding.
"Courthouse." The interior of any facility or property in
which a court conducts business.
"Courthouse grounds." A courthouse and any garage or parking
lot owned by a court or under contract with a court, for the
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purpose of serving a courthouse, any walkway or sidewalk on the
grounds of, contiguous to or abutting the grounds of the
courthouse or connecting the garage or parking lot to the
courthouse or grounds of the courthouse.
"Immigration enforcement. " An effort to investigate, enforce
or assist in an investigation or enforcement of:
(1) A Federal civil immigration law.
(2) A Federal criminal immigration law that penalizes an
individual's presence in, entry or reentry to or employment
in the United States, including a violation of 8 U.S.C. §
1253 (relating to penalties related to removal), 1324c
(relating to penalties for document fraud), 1325 (relating to
improper entry by alien) or 1326 (relating to reentry of
removed aliens).
"Judicial warrant." A written order that is signed by a
judicial officer from a Federal court that receives its
jurisdiction from Article III of the Constitution of the United
States or a court and that directs a law enforcement agency or
individual who is specifically named in the order to arrest an
individual named in the written order to be arrested.
"Personal information." The following:
(1) an individual's address, workplace or hours of work,
school or school hours;
(2) the date, time or place of an individual's hearing,
proceeding or appointment with a public agency; or
(3) any other information that provides the date, time
or place of where an individual may be located.
"Public agency." The following:
(1) an executive, administrative or legislative office
of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions; or
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(2) a department, institution, bureau, board,
commission, authority or official of the Commonwealth.
§ 3002. Civil arrest on courthouse grounds.
(a) Arrest without warrant.--A representative of a Federal,
State or local law enforcement authority may not detain, arrest
or otherwise take into custody an individual on courthouse
grounds on the basis of immigration enforcement, unless the
representative is acting in the representative's official
capacity and the representative possesses on his or her person a
judicial warrant that clearly demonstrates that the individual
to be detained, arrested or otherwise taken into custody is the
subject of a judicial warrant.
(b) Warrant disclosure.--If a representative of a Federal,
State or local law enforcement authority is performing an arrest
on the basis of immigration enforcement on court house grounds,
the arresting representative shall provide the necessary
documentation under subsection (a) to any Commonwealth employee
who requests to review the documentation.
(c) Violations.-- An individual that violates this section is
subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation. A
penalty imposed under this section shall be paid to the
Commonwealth.
(d) Immunity.--No action may be commenced under subsection
(c) against the judicial branch or an officer or employee of a
courthouse or court office acting lawfully and in good faith
pursuant to the officer's or employee's official capacity,
regarding actions or omissions of said branch or such officer or
employee.
§ 3003. Protected travel to court proceedings.
(a) Travel protection.--
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(1) An individual attending a court proceeding in which
the individual is a party, a witness, a potential witness or
court companion of a party, witness or potential witness,
shall not be subject to arrest for a civil immigration
offense while going to, remaining at and returning from the
court proceeding.
(2) Nothing under this section shall preclude the
execution of a criminal arrest warrant issued by a judge or a
criminal arrest based on probable cause for a violation of
criminal law, not including immigration law.
(b) Violations.--An individual that arrests an individual in
violation of subsection (a) is subject to a civil penalty of
$10,000 for each violation. A penalty imposed under this section
shall be paid to the Commonwealth.
§ 3004. Use of facial coverings on courthouse property.
(a) Restriction.--A representative of a Federal, State or
local law enforcement authority may not, while carrying out the
enforcement of laws of this Commonwealth , any other state or the
United States, wear a mask or other covering that obscures the
face of the individual while on courthouse grounds unless
medically necessary and with prior authorization of the court.
(b) Violations.--An individual that violates this section
shall be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for each
violation. A penalty imposed under this section shall be paid to
the Commonwealth.
§ 3005. Protected personal information.
(a) Information restriction.--A public agency or employee,
appointee, officer or official or any other individual acting on
behalf of a public agency may not disclose personal information
that is not a matter of public record regarding a court
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appearance by an individual for a court proceeding in which the
individual is a party, a witness, a potential witness or court
companion to any other individual or entity that is not a public
agency or employee, appointee, officer or official or any other
individual acting on behalf of a public agency, unless the
disclosure is:
(1) authorized in writing by the individual to whom the
information pertains or, if the individual is under 18 years
of age or not legally competent to consent to the disclosure,
by the parent or guardian of the individual;
(2) necessary in furtherance of a criminal investigation
of terrorism of an individual identified as a possible match
in the Federal Terrorist Screening Database or similar
database; or
(3) otherwise required by Federal or State law,
including student and exchange visitor visa sponsorship
requirements for public institutions of higher education or
in compliance with a judicial warrant or court order issued
by a judge or magistrate of the Federal judicial branch or a
court.
(b) Enforcement.--
(1) The Attorney General may bring an action against an
individual or entity that violates this section.
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit
the Attorney General to assert a claim against a public
agency, a State officer or State employee in the officer's or
employee's official capacity, regarding actions or omissions
of the public agency, State officer or State employee.
(3) If the Attorney General determines that a State
officer or State employee is not entitled to indemnification,
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the Attorney General may, as it relates to the officer or
employee, take action authorized under this section.
Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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