FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACT:
Rep. Don Walko                             
Harrisburg Office: 717-787-5470
dwalko@pahouse.net            

 

State Rep. Don Walko
D-Allegheny
www.pahouse.com/walko

 

 

House passes Walko bill to regulate

‘Wild West’ bounty hunter situation in Pa.

 

HARRISBURG, June 28 – State Rep. Don Walko, D-Allegheny, won House passage Wednesday of his bill that would regulate what he calls the “Wild West” practice of bounty hunting in Pennsylvania.

 

Walko first drafted legislation in response to the fatal shooting of an unarmed fugitive by a bounty hunter at a Pittsburgh residence in December 2004. The incident occurred in Walko’s district.

 

“Bounty hunters are largely unregulated in Pennsylvania, even though they have the power to arrest and maintain custody of fugitives. They are not subject to licensing or training requirements. We have taken a step forward to rein in this ‘Wild West’ situation, and I hope that the Senate will join the House in passing this important legislation,” Walko said.

 

Walko’s bill (H.B. 825) would create a new state board to oversee three groups of professionals -- bounty hunters, private investigators and security professionals. It would be modeled on other licensing boards in Pennsylvania and would have the authority to license and monitor members of the three professions and discipline them when necessary.

 

The legislation also would require bounty hunters to meet the same lethal-weapons training requirements that state law already sets for private investigators and security professionals in Pennsylvania.

 

In addition, licensing of private investigators and security professionals would move from the county level to the state. Walko said that would improve oversight and keep problem licensees from slipping through cracks in the current system.

 

“We have laws on how police can behave and how school security guards can operate, and it makes sense to have a regulatory framework for bounty hunters as well. They have power to deny a person his or her liberty, and in my district, a person lost his life. We also need to prevent or punish abuses in these related professions. The bipartisan cooperation that has been provided on this bill should increase the chances of getting it to the governor’s desk,” Walko said.

 

The bill passed the House 198-2 and now goes to the Senate.

 

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