Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act – Amendments Effective Today


Effective today, municipalities and law enforcement agencies must process record requests seeking criminal history information submitted under Act 134.

On November 3, 2022, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed into law Act 134 of 2022, which amended the Criminal History Record Information Act (CHRIA), to implement a new statutory process by which victims of crimes and defendants in certain civil actions can obtain criminal history investigative information gathered by law enforcement agencies (Act 134).  Act 134 went into effect today, May 2, 2023, and is the latest of several statutory amendments impacting access to law enforcement records.

The important takeaways:

Due to the complexities of Act 134 and its interplay with the RTKL, municipalities and law enforcement agencies should consult their legal counsel immediately upon receipt of any request for criminal history investigative information in order to avoid the improper disclosure of sensitive or confidential information. 


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National Law Review, Volume XIII, Number 124