Good Samaritan protections in Pennsylvania need to be improved, testifiers say
Hearing, legislation inspired by college student charged after helping incapacitated student
Policy Committee March 11, 2026 | 1:06 PM
HARRISBURG, March 11 – Following an incident at Bloomsburg University last year in which a student was charged by police after finding an incapacitated student and calling for help, the House Majority Policy Committee met in Harrisburg Wednesday to discuss legislation that will focus on bolstering legal protection for good Samaritans.
“In an emergency, the difference between life and death can come down to whether someone is willing to stop and render aid. No one, especially a young person faced with a frightening situation, should hesitate to help because they’re worried about getting in trouble,” said Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny), who co-hosted Wednesday’s hearing. “We want the kind of society where people step up. Good Samaritan protections make it clear that acting to save a life should always be encouraged, not punished.”
The hearing featured testimony from Rowan Price, who attended Bloomsburg University as a freshman last year. After returning to campus from a student conference for aspiring educators, Price found a student in his dormitory bathroom suffering from alcohol poisoning. Price testified that he and several other classmates assisted this incapacitated student by cleaning him up, rolling him on his side, and calling for help. After officers arrived, Price testified that one officer became agitated and told the students “everything they did was wrong.” Weeks later, Price was charged with Recklessly Endangering Another Person, a crime punishable by up to 2 years in prison.
“Students stepping forward, doing the right thing, should not fear punishment, arrest, financial ruin, or the loss of future employment. If I had simply closed my door and turned my back on my fellow student, I would not be here before you today,” Price said. “If these bills had existed last year, my life might not have been derailed. I urge you to pass these proposals so no student in this commonwealth loses their future simply for helping someone who needed them.”
Reps. Paul Friel (D-Chester) and Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny), who co-hosted Wednesday’s hearing, have introduced bills to update the state’s two medical amnesty laws, which gives individuals immunity from being charged with certain offenses if they seek medical attention for another person. If passed, it will prohibit police from charging an individual for reckless endangerment if they call 911, stay until first responders arrive, and cooperate with first responders.
“We teach our children to look out for others and help people in need. Rowan stepped up and potentially saved a life that night. He should be celebrated, but instead he faced unjust charges, and his life was turned upside down,” Friel said. “We have a responsibility to make sure this never happens again. People shouldn’t be deterred from stepping up and doing the right thing, they should be encouraged, especially on our college campuses.”
Wednesday’s hearing also featured testimony from Sara Jacobsen, Executive Director of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania (PDAP). PDAP testified that this legislation will help close ambiguity in the the state’s medical amnesty law, ensuring that people couldn’t be charged for doing the right thing. Jacobsen added that it would help encourage people to call 911 in an emergency and increase the chances that lives will be saved.
“Emergencies are not the time for hesitation. When someone sees another person in danger from an overdose or alcohol poisoning, the only thing that should matter is getting them help as quickly as possible,” said House Majority Policy Chairman Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). “Enhancing good Samaritan protections ensure that people who make that call can focus on saving a life without worrying about legal consequences.”
Submitted testimony from Wednesday’s hearing can be found here. A livestream of Wednesday’s hearing is available here.
Information about this hearing and other House Democratic Policy Committee hearings can be found at pahouse.com/policy.