Pennsylvania
Every law and rule change USCLI tracks for Pennsylvania, across the professions, on one page. Each entry links to its full write-up and official sources.
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Licensing Law Tracker
Pennsylvania has no state licensing agency for private detectives: the court in each county licenses them under the Private Detective Act of 1953, and the district attorney investigates applicants. The Act has not been amended since 1992. The one change in this period kept the Wiretap Act, and its exception for licensed private detectives, from expiring.
Full Pennsylvania page: every change, its sources, and what has not changed (1 entry).
Wiretap Act, with its private detective exception, extended to 2029
Amends 18 Pa.C.S. 5781 to extend the Wiretap Act’s expiration from December 31, 2023 to December 31, 2029. Without the extension, all of Chapter 57 would have expired, including the exception in section 5704(17) that lets a private detective licensed under…
Officer Certification Tracker
Pennsylvania certifies municipal and most other local police through the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (MPOETC), which the State Police administers. Sheriffs and deputies answer to a separate board. Since 2023 the State has put fingerprint checks into statute, capped the statutory 2-year certification term at “not more than” 2 years, written fitness and reading standards into the law, and required State System campus police to hold MPOETC certification.
Full Pennsylvania page: every change, its sources, and what has not changed (5 entries).
State System campus police must hold MPOETC certification
The Public School Code definition of State System of Higher Education “campus police” changes. It used to cover personnel who had completed an approved campus police course of training. It now covers personnel who “are certified as police officers under 53…
MPOETC approves two reading-comprehension tests
Acting under Act 37 of 2023 (53 Pa.C.S. 2164(8)(iii)), MPOETC approved two tests: the Nelson-Denny at the ninth-grade level or above, and the reading section of the National Police Officer Selection Test at 70 percent or higher. The notice says the tests…
Fitness and reading standards written into statute; lower enrollment floor for Philadelphia academies
Before Act 37, 53 Pa.C.S. 2164(8) said only that MPOETC requires minimum standards for physical fitness, psychological evaluation, and education. The act adds subparagraphs (i) to (iv). Under (i), at a school in a city of the first class (Philadelphia), an…
Fingerprint checks put in statute; certification term capped at no more than 2 years; school directors brought under discipline
New 53 Pa.C.S. 2164(7.1) gives MPOETC power “to require” fingerprints from people applying to attend basic training, for police certification, or for instructor or school director approval. The State Police checks its own records and sends the prints to…
Act 57 and Act 59 temporary rules reached their stated end date
MPOETC’s temporary rules on background investigations under Act 57 (Chapter 241, 51 Pa.B. 1136) and on mental-health evaluations under Act 59 (Chapter 261, 51 Pa.B. 1512) took effect July 14, 2021. Each chapter’s source note says the rules “expire in 2…
Forensic Science Tracker
Pennsylvania has no forensic science commission or analyst license, and its accreditation rules cover DNA labs only. Courts still use the Frye general-acceptance test. Since 2023 the State has required a statewide tracking system for sexual assault kits, put a one-year federal Rapid DNA line in its budget, and updated the DNA law to match a new promoting-prostitution offense.
Full Pennsylvania page: every change, its sources, and what has not changed (3 entries).
DNA law updated for the new promoting-prostitution offense
In the definition of “felony sex offense” in 44 Pa.C.S. 2303, the act replaces the reference to 18 Pa.C.S. 5902(c)(1)(iv) with 18 Pa.C.S. 3027, the new promoting-prostitution offense the act creates. Every felony already required a sample, so the change…
Rapid DNA Coverdell federal appropriation ($250,000, fiscal 2026–27 only)
Under the Attorney General’s line for joint local-State firearm task forces, the act appropriates “Rapid DNA Coverdell - DOJ. Federal appropriation” of $250,000 for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. This is one year of spending authority for federal grant…
Statewide tracking system for sexual assault kits
The act amends the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act. New section 3.1 requires the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, with the State Police, to set up a statewide, web-based kit tracking system within one year. Health care…
Last updated October 19, 2026Source: United States Council for Law & Investigation