SB 1259 — An Act amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole, further providing for investigation of circumstances of offense and for parole procedure.

PRINTER'S NO.   1561

                      THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         SENATE BILL
                         No. 1259
                                                 Session of
                                                   2026

     INTRODUCED BY CAPPELLETTI, BAKER, SCHWANK, SAVAL, KANE, COSTA,
        KIM AND VOGEL, APRIL 1, 2026

     REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, APRIL 1, 2026


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Board of Probation and
 3      Parole, further providing for investigation of circumstances
 4      of offense and for parole procedure.
 5      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 6   hereby enacts as follows:
 7      Section 1.     Section 6135 of Title 61 of the Pennsylvania
 8   Consolidated Statutes is amended by adding a subsection to read:
 9   § 6135.    Investigation of circumstances of offense.
10      * * *
11      (c)    Confidentiality of parole review materials.--Except as
12   provided under section 6139(a)(5) (relating to parole
13   procedure), records or information furnished to the board by a
14   public official or public employee under subsection (b):
15             (1)   Shall be deemed confidential and privileged.
16             (2)   Shall not be subject to subpoena or discovery.
17             (3)   Shall not be introduced into evidence in a judicial
18      or administrative proceeding.
19             (4)   Shall not be released to the offender.
 1      Section 2.         Section 6139(a)(5) of Title 61 is amended to
 2   read:
 3   § 6139.    Parole procedure.
 4      (a)    Specific requirements.--
 5             * * *
 6             (5)   [Whenever an offender is paroled by the board, or
 7      whenever parole is refused by the board, a brief statement of
 8      the reasons for the board's action shall be filed of record
 9      in the offices of the board and shall be at all reasonable
10      times open to public inspection.] The board shall comply with
11      the following relating to decisions of the board:
12                   (i)    If an incarcerated person is paroled by the
13             board, the board shall provide a brief statement of the
14             reasons for the board's approval and set conditions and
15             requirements of parole.
16                   (ii)    If an incarcerated person is denied parole, the
17             board shall provide a brief statement of the reasons for
18             the board's refusal.
19                   (iii)    If the board denies parole and sets a
20             subsequent review date, the board shall provide to the
21             incarcerated person areas of emphasis that will be
22             considered for purposes of making the board's future
23             paroling decision, including recommended programming,
24             behavior standards and compliance standards.
25                   (iv)    A board decision shall be recorded and filed in
26             the offices of the board.
27                   (v)    The decision shall be given to the incarcerated
28             person and at reasonable times be releasable to the
29             public.
30             * * *

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1     Section 3.    This act shall take effect immediately.




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