Senators celebrate signing of bipartisan juvenile justice reform bills

WILKES-BARRE — Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed into law Senate Bills 169 and 170 — now Act 107 and Act 108 of 2024 — to implement reforms needed to improve outcomes for youth, families, and communities, with a continued focus on protecting public safety.

“These reforms are designed to align our juvenile justice system with proven methods for improving youth outcomes and addressing significant gaps in current practices,” said Sen. Lisa Baker (R, D-20), majority chair of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate. “By improving the law, we are taking important steps to give young people a true second chance.”

• Senate Bill 169 implements a requirement that courts hold a disposition review hearing at least every three months to make sure children placed outside the home are getting the care, treatment and services they need, and to make sure children are returned home as soon as is appropriate.

• Senate Bill 170 creates an expungement process for juvenile records and requires that the Chief Juvenile Probation officer notify the court when records are eligible for expungement and request that the court initiate the expungement process.

Sen. Jay Costa (D, D-43), and Sen. Lisa Baker co-chaired the Juvenile Justice Task Force, which produced a report in June 2021 containing 35 recommendations for reform. Of those reforms, Senate Bills 169 and 170 address recommendations 2, 5, 16 and 23.

“I am very happy that the Senate could work in a bipartisan way to get these bills over the finish line,” said Sen. Costa. “The Juvenile Justice Task Force brought to light some unfortunate findings about the way we treat our young people in our legal system, and I am glad we are taking steps to reform our processes. I am hopeful that our work will lead to rehabilitation and a thriving future for these youths.”

Sen. Steve Santarsiero (D, D-10), minority chair of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, added, “For young people in the juvenile justice system to succeed, it is critical that there are supports and pathways to help with the transition into adulthood and to allow these individuals to lead productive lives. I want to thank Senators Baker and Costa for their roles as co-chairs of the Juvenile Justice Task Force and their work to find meaningful ways to improve outcomes for youth exiting the juvenile justice system.”

Senate Bills 169 and 170 secured the support of the Pennsylvania District Attorney Association, Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission, Governor Shapiro’s Administration, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police, Office of Victim Advocate, ACLU-PA and many other organizations.