Pennsylvania § 2155 - Publication of guidelines for sentencing, resentencing and parole, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation.

§ 2155. Publication of guidelines for sentencing, resentencing and parole, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation.

(a) General rule.--The commission shall:

(1) Prior to adoption, publish in the Pennsylvania Bulletin all proposed sentencing guidelines, resentencing guidelines following revocation of probation, guidelines for restrictive conditions of probation, parole guidelines, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation by the board of paroles granted, and hold public hearings not earlier than 30 days and not later than 60 days thereafter to afford an opportunity for the following persons and organizations to testify:

(i) Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association.

(ii) Chiefs of Police Associations.

(iii) Fraternal Order of Police.

(iv) Public Defenders Organization.

(v) Law school faculty members.

(vi) Pennsylvania Parole Board.

(vii) Department of Corrections.

(viii) Pennsylvania Bar Association.

(ix) Pennsylvania Wardens Association.

(x) Pennsylvania Association on Probation, Parole and Corrections.

(xi) Pennsylvania Conference of State Trial Judges.

(xii) Any other interested person or organization.

(2) Publish in the Pennsylvania Bulletin sentencing guidelines, resentencing guidelines following revocation of probation, county intermediate punishment and State intermediate punishment, parole guidelines, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation by the board of paroles granted as adopted by the commission.

(b) Rejection by General Assembly.--Subject to gubernatorial review pursuant to section 9 of Article III of the Constitution of Pennsylvania, the General Assembly may by concurrent resolution reject in their entirety any guidelines, risk assessment instrument or recommitment ranges adopted by the commission within 90 days of their publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin pursuant to subsection (a)(2).

(c) Effective date.--

(1) Sentencing guidelines, resentencing guidelines following revocation of probation, county intermediate punishment and State intermediate punishment, parole guidelines, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges following revocation by the board of paroles granted, adopted by the commission shall become effective 90 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin pursuant to subsection (a)(2) unless disapproved pursuant to subsection (b) and shall apply to sentences and resentences and parole decisions made after the effective date of the guidelines.

(2) If not disapproved, the commission shall conduct training and orientation for trial court judges and board members prior to the effective date of the guidelines, risk assessment instrument and recommitment ranges.

(July 10, 1980, P.L.513, No.106, eff. imd.; Mar. 22, 1988, P.L.240, No.26, eff. imd.; Sept. 25, 2008, P.L.1026, No.81, eff. 60 days; July 5, 2012, P.L.1050, No.122, eff. 60 days; June 30, 2021, P.L.260, No.59, eff. imd.)

2021 Amendment. Act 59 amended subsec. (a)(1) intro. par. and (vi).

1988 Amendment. See section 2 of Act 26 in the appendix to this title for special provisions relating to legislative review of sentencing guidelines.

Cross References. Section 2155 is referred to in section 9721 of this title.