An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for temporary police assistance in certain cities and townships.

PRINTER'S NO. 667
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 658
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SOLOMON, SANCHEZ, BRENNAN, GIRAL, BURGOS, KHAN,
PIELLI, BOROWSKI, HILL-EVANS, GALLAGHER, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ,
ZIMMERMAN, CERRATO AND GREEN, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for temporary
police assistance in certain cities and townships.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 21 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subchapter to read:
SUBCHAPTER F
TEMPORARY POLICE ASSISTANCE
IN CERTAIN CITIES AND TOWNSHIPS
Sec.
2191. Definitions.
2192. Retired police officer program.
§ 2191. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this subchapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Municipality." A city of the first class or a township of
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the first class.
"Police department." A public agency of a municipality
having general police powers and charged with making arrests in
connection with the enforcement of the criminal or traffic laws.
"Police officer." A full-time or part-time employee assigned
to criminal or traffic law enforcement duties of a police
department.
"Program." A program for retired police officers established
under section 2192(a) (relating to retired police officer
program).
§ 2192. Retired police officer program.
(a) Establishment.--Within one year of the effective date of
this subsection, a police department may establish a program for
retired police officers to return to work for the police
department for a period of not more than five years.
(b) Standards.--For a retired police officer to return to
work for a police department under a program, the retired police
officer:
(1) May not have any record of unacceptable behavior or
disciplinary action as an active police officer.
(2) Shall complete the training established under
subsection (c).
(c) Training.--The Municipal Police Officers' Education and
Training Commission shall establish an eight-week training
program for retired police officers returning to work for a
police department under a program.
(d) Retirement benefit implications.--
(1) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (2), a
retired police officer's participation in a program shall not
affect any benefits received from a municipal retirement
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system.
(2) Prior to a retired police officer's participation in
a program, the police officer must irrevocably elect, in a
writing filed with the municipality that established the
program or a designee of the municipality, to:
(i) continue receipt of the police officer's early
or superannuation retirement pension benefits; or
(ii) discontinue the police officer's early or
superannuation retirement pension benefits while the
police officer participates in the program.
(3) A retired police officer who participates in a
program shall receive credited service for the work based on
the duration of time and compensation received while
participating in the program, and the credited service shall
be applied to the retirement benefits due the police officer
in accordance with the retirement plan of the municipality.
(e) Expiration.--Each program shall expire six years after
the effective date of subsection (a).
(f) Applicability.--This section shall only apply to police
officers who retire prior to the effective date of this
subsection.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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