I plan to reintroduce legislation, formerly SB 73 of 2023-2024, that would provide heightened penalties for offenses committed against public transportation employees. The intent of this legislation is to reduce and eliminate future assaults against such employees.

Following SEPTA’s efforts to hire more transit police and bolster safety and security throughout its network, serious crime decreased in 2024 in comparison to 2023. However, a clear pattern of aggression against public transit workers themselves has persisted over the last several years. For instance, assaults on SEPTA workers increased from 98 in 2018, to 572 in 2023. Moreover, since 2019 there have been over 2,100 attacks on SEPTA workers which includes verbal harassment and physical violence according to SEPTA reports and assaults data recently reviewed by the Federal Transit Administration in its most recent safety management reports. This trend is alarming even with the above figures only accounting for the southeastern portion of our state’s public transportation system.

Under current law, a protected class of public servants has been created under section 2702 (c) of Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses). This class, which does not include public transportation employees, receives protection from additional offenses of aggravated assault while performing assigned job duties.

Unfortunately, at this time, public transportation workers are only protected from an offense of aggravated assault if a person attempts to cause or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly cause serious bodily injury—a first degree felony offense. No second-degree felony offenses of aggravated assault against public transportation employees exist.

As assaults on transit workers persist year after year, my legislation would include public transportation employees in the protected class of employees found under section 2702 (c) of Title 18. This would provide for additional offenses of aggravated assault against public transportation employees to ensure they receive protection equal to that of other public servants under the law.

Please join me in co-sponsoring this legislation and help protect all public transportation employees throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Members who co-sponsored this legislation previously include Senators Fontana, Brewster, Kane, Santarsiero, Costa, and Farry.