State Senate approves Sen. Baker’s juvenile justice reform bills

WILKES-BARRE — The Pennsylvania Senate on Wednesday announced that it has passed two critical pieces of legislation to reform the state’s juvenile justice system.

The bills, introduced by Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, implement key recommendations from Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Task Force.

“These reforms are designed to align our juvenile justice system with proven methods for improving youth outcomes and addressing significant gaps in current practices,” Baker said. “By passing this legislation, we are taking important steps to give young people a true second chance.”

Baker said the bills address recommendations from the Juvenile Justice Task Force Report to help streamline the expungement process, provide equitable legal representation for juveniles and improve accountability and oversight in juvenile court proceedings.

• Senate Bill 169 updates the juvenile court system by requiring disposition review hearings every 3 months instead of 9. The hearings are designed to ensure juveniles receive necessary services and treatment, assess their threat to the community and decide if they should remain in placement or be released under supervision. The court will also set the date for the next review hearing.

“This outdated practice poses a serious obstacle to employment, education and housing for many individuals who have completed their supervision or had their cases dismissed,” Baker said. “It’s only fair that we extend the same second-chance opportunities we’ve granted for adult offender to these young people.”

• Senate Bill 170 modifies the expungement of juvenile records by reducing the waiting period for expungement from 5 years to 2 years for most misdemeanors, while maintaining the 5-year period for felonies, misdemeanor firearm offenses and indecent assault. The bill also standardizes the expungement process by requiring the Chief Juvenile Probation Officer to initiate expungements for eligible individuals, with the district attorney having the opportunity to object. Exceptions to expungement, such as for sex offenses and cases with subsequent convictions or pending proceedings, remain unchanged.

“These are meaningful reforms that will offer fairness, accountability and hope to young people across Pennsylvania,” Baker said.

Both bills now head to the House of Representatives for consideration.