An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in cruelty to animals, providing for concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute felony offenses.

PRINTER'S NO. 686
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 662
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MUTH, KANE, FONTANA, COMITTA, SAVAL, COSTA,
PENNYCUICK AND CAPPELLETTI, APRIL 28, 2025
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 28, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in cruelty to animals, providing for
concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute felony offenses.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 5558.1. Concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute.
In addition to the authority conferred upon the Attorney
General by the act of October 15, 1980 (P.L.950, No.164), known
as the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, the Attorney General shall
have the authority to investigate and institute criminal
proceedings for a felony offense under this subchapter if the
Attorney General requests in writing to prosecute the felony
offense under this subchapter in a criminal court or juvenile
delinquency court and:
(1) t he district attorney with jurisdiction over the
prosecution of the felony offense accepts the request in
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writing; or
(2) all of the following occur:
(i) the district attorney with jurisdiction over the
prosecution of the felony offense fails to respond to the
request within 90 days of the date of the request;
(ii) the Attorney General sends a subsequent written
request by certified or registered mail to the district
attorney; and
(iii) the district attorney fails to respond to the
subsequent request within 10 days of the date of the
subsequent request.
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20250SB0662PN0686 - 2 -
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