Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility House Judiciary Committee approves bipartisan medical release bill

House Judiciary Committee approves bipartisan medical release bill

Rep. Rick Krajewski    May 14, 2025 | 3:27 PM

HARRISBURG, May 14  –  Today, the House Judiciary Committee voted 15-11 to approve H.B. 150, a bipartisan bill introduced by state Reps. Rick Krajewski, D-Phila., and Torren Ecker, R-Adams/Cumberland, that would streamline the process for medical release for Pennsylvania’s rapidly aging population.

Advocates say Pennsylvania’s existing compassionate release process is notoriously challenging and time consuming. Over the last 15 years, only 54 people have been granted release under it, and 11 people have died waiting for a hearing.

“Those are 11 people who could’ve spent their last days at home with family and loved ones. 11 people who posed no threat to society whatsoever,” Krajewski said. “I think we can all agree that this is not the kind of justice that the creators of our commonwealth’s compassionate release system had in mind.”

The bill draws bipartisan support from fiscal conservatives and criminal justice reform advocates alike, since it saves millions for taxpayers on expensive medical care within prisons. President Donald Trump enabled similar legislation targeting federal prisons in 2018 with the First Step Act.  

“Corrections is our state’s third biggest area of spending and the Department has named the overwhelming cost of care for our aging prison population as one of their biggest fiscal challenges,” Ecker said. “This isn’t a Democratic or a Republican idea. This is a commonsense way to save money for hardworking taxpayers, modeled off President Trump’s groundbreaking First Step Act.”

The Department of Corrections spent more than $426 million on medical care in the 2023-24 fiscal year. Of that, $40.5 million was spent on medical care for incarcerated elderly people who were at risk of death.

In recent years, similar state reforms have passed in Maryland, North Carolina and more.

“When our corrections system is spending tens of millions of dollars to incarcerate people who are slowly dying, we must ask ourselves who is this really benefiting? We’ve seen states take serious action on this, it is time for Pennsylvania to do the same,” Krajewski said.

The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.