Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg

The state House of Representatives Judiciary Committee on June 15 unanimously approved two bills to improve vetting and training of police officers.

"Ultimately the issue is about trust, and taking steps to ensure all residents and all law enforcement are taking strides to build trust makes for a safer Pennsylvania, and everyone benefits," said House Majority Leader Bryan Cutler, R-Lancaster.

The bills are the General Assembly's first response to the movement that has grown in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. "We cannot ignore the events taking place across our nation in the aftermath of the horrific death of George Floyd," said House Judiciary Committee chairman Rob Kauffman, R-Franklin.

House Bill 1841 would require prior employers to comply with background investigations of candidates for jobs as police officers.

Sponsored by state Rep. Harry Readshaw, D-Allegheny, the bill would require previous law enforcement employers to divulge information including disciplinary records. "A law enforcement agency is not required by law to turn over employment history on a present or former employee to another agency looking to hire that officer," Readshaw said. "Law enforcement agencies often fear civil liability in turning over this information. This is a problem, because the hiring agency might not know about past misconduct at other law enforcement agencies or other job positions."

House Bill 1910 would require police officers (and members of the minor judiciary such as magisterial district judges) to receive mandatory training that will help them to recognize child abuse early on and to be fully aware of the reporting requirements. The bill, sponsored by state Rep. Dan Williams D-Chester, would also ensure that as well as the full complement of resources available for effective forensic interviewing of abuse victims.

The measures now go to the full House. Two Pennsylvania Senate committees heard testimony at a joint hearing June 17 and 18 focusing on equality and equality in law enforcement and the criminal justice system.

State Attorney General Josh Shapiro told the panel, which was chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne, that while he doesn't support calls to "defund" police, he wants to see greater investment in mental health services, education and substance-abuse treatment, according to a report on the PennLive website. "When you do that, the caseloads for the district attorneys, the caseloads for my office, the work of a local police department will go down," Shapiro said, according to the report.