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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania Establishes Ebony Alert System to Locate Missing Young People of Color
Last action · September 8, 2026: Laid on the table, Sept. 8, 2026Sponsors: Gina Curry and 21 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Pennsylvania establishes the Ebony Alert System operated by the State Police to issue prompt public and agency notifications for missing young people of color between 12 and 25 years of age who face danger, disability, human trafficking risks, or suspicious circumstances. The measure authorizes local law enforcement to activate alerts, encourages media cooperation, allows the Department of Transportation to issue electronic flyers or changeable message signs, and imposes a $5,000 civil penalty for unauthorized public alerts.
Creates a dedicated emergency notification framework specifically for missing young people of color aged 12 to 25, backed by a $25 court assessment on kidnapping convictions to fund program maintenance.
- House Bill 434 was introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly during the 2025-2026 legislative session and referred to the Committee on Children and Youth. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Pennsylvania State Police
Must establish, maintain, and operate the Ebony Alert System using funds generated from court assessments.
Local law enforcement agencies
Granted the authority to evaluate missing person cases and immediately activate statewide alerts when criteria are met.
Department of Transportation
Authorized to assist law enforcement by issuing electronic flyers and changeable message signs upon alert activation.
Individuals convicted of kidnapping
Subject to an automatic $25 assessment added to their case penalties unless the court finds undue hardship.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the age range for individuals covered by the Ebony Alert System?
What happens if someone sends a fake Ebony Alert?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Tabled in the House.
Procedural history
6 actions- Sep 8, 2026HouseLaid on the table, Sept. 8, 2026
- Sep 8, 2026HouseCommitteeRe-reported as committed, Sept. 8, 2026
- Jun 2, 2026HouseRe-committed to RULES, June 2, 2026
- Jun 2, 2026HouseIntroducedFirst consideration, June 2, 2026
- Jun 2, 2026HouseCommitteeReported as committed, June 2, 2026
- Jan 31, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to CHILDREN AND YOUTH, Jan. 31, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 17 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Dedicated Conviction-Based Funding
The Ebony Alert System relies on a specialized $25 court assessment tied specifically to kidnapping convictions under Chapter 29 rather than general appropriations.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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