PennsylvaniaCertain officers would fall under Pennsylvania’s rules for recording conversations
Officers covered by section 9911 would qualify for a conditional exception to protections for spoken conversations and fall under separate rules for law enforcement recordings.
What it does
Conversations near officers covered by section 9911 would fall outside the wiretap law’s definition of protected spoken conversations when officers are identifiable, on duty, and using approved devices during law enforcement work.
Officers covered by section 9911 would also count as law enforcement officers under Pennsylvania’s separate rules for law enforcement recordings.
Argument forCovered officers could use approved recordings during their duties to document interactions and preserve an accurate account of what people said.
Argument againstPeople near covered officers could have private remarks recorded under an exception that excludes those conversations from the wiretap law’s protected category.
More detail
Officers covered by section 9911 would count as law enforcement officers for this exception to protections for spoken conversations. The exception covers conversations spoken in the presence of officers defined in section 9911. That section’s definition is not included here. The officer must be on official duty and in uniform or otherwise clearly identifiable as a law enforcement officer. The officer must use an approved device to record the conversation during law enforcement duties. This provision would take effect 60 days after enactment.
Officers covered by section 9911 would count as law enforcement officers under the separate chapter governing law enforcement recordings. This definition applies within the chapter on recordings by law enforcement officers. This provision would take effect 60 days after enactment.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Oct 22Act No. 81 of 2026Latest
- Oct 22Approved by the Governor Josh ShapiroBecame Law
- Oct 22Presented to the GovernorTo Governor
- Oct 22Signed in Senate
- Oct 21Signed in House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE - RECONSIDERATION. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE. Result: pass.Upper
- Oct 21Final passageMajor
- Oct 21Vote on final passage reconsidered
- Oct 21Third consideration and final passagePassed Senate
- Oct 20Re-reported as committedMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Appropriations): Re-Reported as Committed. Result: pass.Upper
- Sep 28Re-referred to AppropriationsMinor
- Sep 28Second considerationMinor
- Jun 30First considerationMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Judiciary): Reported as Committed. Result: pass.Upper
- Jun 30Reported as committedMinor
- Jun 22Referred to JudiciaryMinor
- Jun 17Third consideration and final passagePassed House
- Vote recorded FINAL PASSAGE. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Appropriations): Re-report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 17Re-reported as committedMinor
- Jun 16Re-committed to AppropriationsMinor
- Vote recorded A3675. Result: fail.Lower
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Rules): Re-report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 16Second considerationMinor
- Jun 16Re-reported as committedMinor
- Jun 8Re-committed to RulesMinor
- Vote recorded Committee vote (Judiciary): Report Bill As Committed. Result: pass.Lower
- Jun 8First considerationMinor
- Jun 8Reported as committedMinor
- Mar 18Referred to JudiciaryIntroduced
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