Localmedium impact · 4/10substantive020428

Council proposed tougher penalties for public sidewalk behavior in Philadelphia.

Official:Amending Chapter 10-600 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Public Places - Prohibited Conduct," by amending Section 10-611, entitled "Sidewalk Behavior," by amending the enforcement and penalties provisions; all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Kenney

Introduced: June 13, 2002

: Committee on Rules

infrastructure public safety

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2000–2003 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill amends Philadelphia's law regarding sidewalk behavior by changing how enforcement and penalties are handled for certain violations.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

Law enforcement officers must issue an oral warning to individuals violating certain sidewalk behavior provisions (lying, sitting, obstructing, or leaving objects unattended) before issuing a written warning.
Written warnings must be printed in both English and Spanish.
Officers must attempt to determine if individuals violating certain provisions are in need of medical or social service assistance before taking coercive action.
The penalties and enforcement provisions for violating certain sidewalk behavior regulations are amended, but the specific changes are not detailed in the provided text.