An anti-hazing law passed its final vote in the Pennsylvania state senate on Monday. The bill was approved unanimously and is now heading to the governor’s desk.
The Timothy J. Piazza Antihazing Law is named after Penn State student Tim Piazza, who died in 2017 from alcohol hazing.
The new law will create tiers for hazing charges, which means hazing resulting in serious bodily injury or death would be a third-degree felony, with a prison sentence of up to seven years.
Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, who sponsored the bill, says the new law will give prosecutors more flexibility.
“We now have anything from a summary offense of a case that may not be all that serious, to a felony if the case of hazing results in bodily injury, or, in this case, death,” Corman said.
The law also creates categories of “institutional hazing.” It will require schools to have policies and reporting procedures in place to stop hazing.
The Piazza family and Penn State support this bill.
“The Piazza family has shown great courage through the journey to see this plan to the Governor’s desk,” Corman said. “They have made changing the law in Pennsylvania – and nationally – their movement to ensure that Tim’s death has not been in vain. When signed into law, good, meaningful reforms will come from their unspeakable tragedy.”
Governor Tom Wolf has indicated that he will sign the bill.
