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Emgage Pennsylvania – Policy & Advocacy

EMGAGE PENNSYLVANIA POLICY & ADVOCACY

Through our Emgage Action Pennsylvania chapter, we are here to provide you updates in real-time on our legislative priorities, engagement with the Pennsylvania Government regarding the initiatives most important to our community, advocacy efforts, as well as the most crucial legislation we’re tracking. 

We are here to be your one stop shop to stay up-to-date on the multitude of legislative actions taking place in PA, while letting you know how YOU can stay politically engaged.

Pennsylvania Legislative Values:

  1. Voting Rights

  2. Fair Funding For Schools 

  3. Mandatory Minimum 

  4. Criminal Justice Reform

  5. Diversity Equity & Inclusion in Healthcare (Maternal Mortality) 

  6. Removing School Resource Officers (School to prison pipeline) 

  7. Advocacy for Muslim Students 

  8. Eid Holiday Recognition 

  9. Access to Halal Meals In Schools

  10. Increasing small business opportunities for Muslim entrepreneurs

Hand of a person casting a vote into the ballot box during elections

Protecting Voting Rights & Fighting Voter Suppression

Criminal Justice Reform

Ensuring Equitable Funding for Schools

Diversity Equity & Inclusion in Healthcare (Maternal Mortality) 

Reducing Mandatory Minimum Sentencing

Establishing Eid as a Public Holiday 

Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Advocacy for Muslim Students

Access to Halal Meals in Schools

Increasing Small Business Opportunities for Muslim Entrepreneurs

SUPPORTING BILLS IN PROGRESS:

UPDATED: 03/22/2023

Expanding the Ethnic Intimidation Statute
WAITING FOR BILL INTRODUCTION

Last Action: not introduced as of yet

Full bill title: Coming soon.

Summary: This bill would strengthen Pennsylvania’s “ethnic intimidation” criminal penalty language and step up civil penalties on those who target individuals or groups because of their race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or disability of an individual or group of individuals. It would also provide tools to fight civil rights violations such as preliminary and permanent injunctive relief against continued violators and people who solicit or provide aid to such violators.

Primary Sponsors: Dan Frankel (D), Napoleon J. Nelson (D)

Law Enforcement Training on Investigating, Identifying, and Reporting Crimes of Ethnic Intimidation
WAITING FOR BILL INTRODUCTION

Last Action: not introduced as of yet

Full bill title: Coming soon.

Summary: the FBI data available to us shows that hate crimes are on the rise, but experts agree that those numbers represent a dramatic undercount. Most hate crimes go unreported or are never properly categorized. In order to accurately track and combat hate crimes, this bill would provide Pennsylvania’s law enforcement with the training they need to properly investigate, identify and report crimes of ethnic intimidation.

Primary Sponsors: Dan Frankel (D), Napoleon J. Nelson (D)

Hate Incidents Reporting Systems in Educational Settings
WAITING FOR BILL INTRODUCTION

Last Action: not introduced as of yet

Full bill title: Coming soon.

Summary: The Southern Poverty Law Center has warned that hate groups are specifically “targeting college campuses” as recruiting grounds. Thia bill is designed to train educators and school administrators to identify and address hate incidents before they become deadly. It would also expand existing anonymous reporting programs in K-12 schools, along with institutions of higher education, to allow young people to easily speak up when they are the victims of or witnesses to incidences of hate-based intimidation.

Primary Sponsors: Dan Frankel (D), Napoleon J. Nelson (D)

Requirement for Hate Crimes Offenders to Complete Diversity Classes
WAITING FOR BILL INTRODUCTION

Last Action: not introduced as of yet

Full bill title: Coming soon.

Summary: This bill would require, as a condition of probation or parole, an individual who is convicted of ethnic intimidation to perform community service or complete educational classes relating to the motivating factor of the underlying crime. Additionally, the legislation would allow a representative of a targeted community group to submit a community impact statement prior to sentencing. The community impact statement would be similar to victim impact statements that are submitted by a victim of a crime prior to the sentencing of a perpetrator.

Primary Sponsors: Dan Frankel (D), Napoleon J. Nelson (D)

OPPOSING BILLS IN PROGRESS:

No opposing bills as of yet.

Percentages based on the following chronological benchmarks for a bill: filed (10%), heard in committee (20%), passed out of committee (30%), passed in one house of state legislature (60%), passed in both houses of state legislature (90%), and signed into law (100%).

YOU CAN TAKE ACTION:

YOU CAN TAKE ACTION