HB 2259 — An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for actions not permissible in a courthouse; and imposing penalties.

PRINTER'S NO.   2956

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 2259
                                               Session of
                                                 2026

     INTRODUCED BY KINKEAD, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, FRIEL, KHAN, PIELLI,
        HANBIDGE, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS, SANCHEZ, RIVERA, BOYD,
        BOROWSKI, MADDEN, O'MARA, SHUSTERMAN, WARREN, D. WILLIAMS,
        BENHAM, MAYES, WAXMAN, GUENST, KENYATTA AND PARKER,
        MARCH 2, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, MARCH 3, 2026


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the
 2      Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for actions not
 3      permissible in a courthouse; and imposing penalties.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
 8                                CHAPTER 30
 9                ACTIONS NOT PERMISSIBLE IN A COURTHOUSE
10   Sec.
11   3001.   Definitions.
12   3002.   Civil arrest on courthouse grounds.
13   3003.   Protected travel to court proceedings.
14   3004.   Use of facial coverings on courthouse property.
15   3005.   Protected personal information.
16   § 3001.   Definitions.
17      The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
 1   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 2   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 3      "Court."   A court within the unified judicial system as
 4   described in section 301 (relating to unified judicial system).
 5      "Court companion."   An individual whose purpose is to
 6   support, assist or accompany an individual who is going to,
 7   remaining at or returning from a court proceeding. The term
 8   includes:
 9          (1)    a spouse, domestic partner or individual who has a
10      dating or engagement relationship with the party, witness or
11      potential witness;
12          (2)    a biological parent, foster parent, adoptive parent
13      or stepparent of a party, witness or potential witness;
14          (3)    a minor child or other individual under the care of
15      a party, witness or potential witness;
16          (4)    an interpreter, translator or individual assisting
17      the party, witness or potential witness with reading or
18      completing court forms or other documents;
19          (5)    an individual providing health care or assistance to
20      a party, witness or potential witness to allow that
21      individual to participate in the court proceeding;
22          (6)    a case manager or social worker for the party,
23      witness or potential witness;
24          (7)    a domestic violence or sexual assault advocate; and
25          (8)    an individual transporting a party, witness or
26      potential witness to or from the court proceeding.
27      "Courthouse."   The interior of any facility or property in
28   which a court conducts business.
29      "Courthouse grounds."   A courthouse and any garage or parking
30   lot owned by a court or under contract with a court, for the

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 1   purpose of serving a courthouse, any walkway or sidewalk on the
 2   grounds of, contiguous to or abutting the grounds of the
 3   courthouse or connecting the garage or parking lot to the
 4   courthouse or grounds of the courthouse.
 5      "Immigration enforcement."    An effort to investigate, enforce
 6   or assist in an investigation or enforcement of:
 7          (1)   A Federal civil immigration law.
 8          (2)   A Federal criminal immigration law that penalizes an
 9      individual's presence in, entry or reentry to or employment
10      in the United States, including a violation of 8 U.S.C. §
11      1253 (relating to penalties related to removal), 1324c
12      (relating to penalties for document fraud), 1325 (relating to
13      improper entry by alien) or 1326 (relating to reentry of
14      removed aliens).
15      "Judicial warrant."   A written order that is signed by a
16   judicial officer from a Federal court that receives its
17   jurisdiction from Article III of the Constitution of the United
18   States or a court and that directs a law enforcement agency or
19   individual who is specifically named in the order to arrest an
20   individual named in the written order to be arrested.
21      "Personal information."   The following:
22          (1)   an individual's address, workplace or hours of work,
23      school or school hours;
24          (2)   the date, time or place of an individual's hearing,
25      proceeding or appointment with a public agency; or
26          (3)   any other information that provides the date, time
27      or place of where an individual may be located.
28      "Public agency."   The following:
29          (1)   an executive, administrative or legislative office
30      of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions; or

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 1             (2)   a department, institution, bureau, board,
 2      commission, authority or official of the Commonwealth.
 3   § 3002.    Civil arrest on courthouse grounds.
 4      (a)    Arrest without warrant.--A representative of a Federal,
 5   State or local law enforcement authority may not detain, arrest
 6   or otherwise take into custody an individual on courthouse
 7   grounds on the basis of immigration enforcement, unless the
 8   representative is acting in the representative's official
 9   capacity and the representative possesses on his or her person a
10   judicial warrant that clearly demonstrates that the individual
11   to be detained, arrested or otherwise taken into custody is the
12   subject of a judicial warrant.
13      (b)    Warrant disclosure.--If a representative of a Federal,
14   State or local law enforcement authority is performing an arrest
15   on the basis of immigration enforcement on courthouse grounds,
16   the arresting representative shall provide the necessary
17   documentation under subsection (a) to any Commonwealth employee
18   who requests to review the documentation.
19      (c)    Violations.--An individual that violates this section is
20   subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for each violation. A
21   penalty imposed under this section shall be paid to the
22   Commonwealth.
23      (d)    Immunity.--No action may be commenced under subsection
24   (c) against the judicial branch or an officer or employee of a
25   courthouse or court office acting lawfully and in good faith
26   pursuant to the officer's or employee's official capacity,
27   regarding actions or omissions of said branch or such officer or
28   employee.
29   § 3003.    Protected travel to court proceedings.
30      (a)    Travel protection.--

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 1             (1)   An individual attending a court proceeding in which
 2      the individual is a party, a witness, a potential witness or
 3      court companion of a party, witness or potential witness,
 4      shall not be subject to arrest for a civil immigration
 5      offense while going to, remaining at and returning from the
 6      court proceeding.
 7             (2)   Nothing under this section shall preclude the
 8      execution of a criminal arrest warrant issued by a judge or a
 9      criminal arrest based on probable cause for a violation of
10      criminal law, not including immigration law.
11      (b)    Violations.--An individual that arrests an individual in
12   violation of subsection (a) is subject to a civil penalty of
13   $10,000 for each violation. A penalty imposed under this section
14   shall be paid to the Commonwealth.
15   § 3004.    Use of facial coverings on courthouse property.
16      (a)    Restriction.--A representative of a Federal, State or
17   local law enforcement authority may not, while carrying out the
18   enforcement of laws of this Commonwealth, any other state or the
19   United States, wear a mask or other covering that obscures the
20   face of the individual while on courthouse grounds unless
21   medically necessary and with prior authorization of the court.
22      (b)    Violations.--An individual that violates this section
23   shall be subject to a civil penalty of $10,000 for each
24   violation. A penalty imposed under this section shall be paid to
25   the Commonwealth.
26   § 3005.    Protected personal information.
27      (a)    Information restriction.--A public agency or employee,
28   appointee, officer or official or any other individual acting on
29   behalf of a public agency may not disclose personal information
30   that is not a matter of public record regarding a court

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 1   appearance by an individual for a court proceeding in which the
 2   individual is a party, a witness, a potential witness or court
 3   companion to any other individual or entity that is not a public
 4   agency or employee, appointee, officer or official or any other
 5   individual acting on behalf of a public agency, unless the
 6   disclosure is:
 7            (1)   authorized in writing by the individual to whom the
 8      information pertains or, if the individual is under 18 years
 9      of age or not legally competent to consent to the disclosure,
10      by the parent or guardian of the individual;
11            (2)   necessary in furtherance of a criminal investigation
12      of terrorism of an individual identified as a possible match
13      in the Federal Terrorist Screening Database or similar
14      database; or
15            (3)   otherwise required by Federal or State law,
16      including student and exchange visitor visa sponsorship
17      requirements for public institutions of higher education or
18      in compliance with a judicial warrant or court order issued
19      by a judge or magistrate of the Federal judicial branch or a
20      court.
21      (b)   Enforcement.--
22            (1)   The Attorney General may bring an action against an
23      individual or entity that violates this section.
24            (2)   Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit
25      the Attorney General to assert a claim against a public
26      agency, a State officer or State employee in the officer's or
27      employee's official capacity, regarding actions or omissions
28      of the public agency, State officer or State employee.
29            (3)   If the Attorney General determines that a State
30      officer or State employee is not entitled to indemnification,

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1     the Attorney General may, as it relates to the officer or
2     employee, take action authorized under this section.
3     Section 2.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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