An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in other offenses, further providing for the offense of invasion of privacy.
Summary
HB957 amends Pennsylvania’s criminal invasion-of-privacy statute to increase penalties and add a post-conviction destruction requirement for related media. Under the bill, a single violation of the offense would be graded as a first-degree misdemeanor, while more than one violation would be graded as a third-degree felony. The bill also adds a new subsection requiring a person convicted under the section to delete or destroy any photograph, videotape, electronic depiction, film, record, or other recording associated with the conviction that is in the person’s possession.
The bill further makes failure to delete or destroy the covered media a separate offense, graded as a third-degree felony. In practical terms, HB957 would strengthen enforcement against repeated privacy violations and create an additional criminal consequence for retaining recordings tied to the offense. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Impact
HB957 would amend Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by revising section 7507.1 on invasion of privacy. It changes the grading of the offense for repeated violations, increases the severity of the penalty structure for single violations, and creates a new felony offense for failing to destroy or delete prohibited media. The bill would affect individuals convicted under the invasion-of-privacy statute, prosecutors, courts, and potentially law enforcement and victims seeking stronger remedies for privacy-related offenses.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or vote record is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or recorded support/opposition. Based on the bill text and sponsorship, the measure appears to be framed as a privacy-protection and deterrence bill, suggesting a generally punitive approach toward repeat offenders and retention of illicit recordings. The absence of recorded votes or hearing discussion makes it impossible to identify a broader legislative consensus or organized opposition from the available materials.
Contention
The main policy issue is the bill’s escalation of criminal penalties, especially the move to felony grading for multiple violations and for failing to destroy associated media. Supporters would likely view these changes as necessary to deter repeated invasions of privacy and prevent continued possession of harmful recordings. Potential critics could object to the increased criminal exposure, the creation of a separate felony for noncompliance with the destruction requirement, or questions about how the deletion/destruction mandate would be enforced in practice, particularly for electronic media and copies stored on devices or cloud services.