Proposed bill would charge municipalities that rely on state police for coverage

Pa. lawmakers could make the cost of relying on state police far more expensive.

A proposal in Harrisburg that could eventually require municipalities to pay for Pennsylvania State Police coverage is drawing renewed attention in Fallowfield Township, where officials last week revisited long-running questions about the future of local policing.

House Bill 2284, introduced March 12 by Dauphin County Democrat Justin Fleming, would establish a fee-for-service system for municipalities that rely on state police rather than maintaining their own departments.

The proposal stems from a co-sponsorship memo Fleming circulated in September 2025 outlining what he described as the financial strain on the state.

According to that memo, state police coverage for municipalities without local departments costs an estimated $641 million annually — roughly $234 per resident — and is largely subsidized through statewide funding sources such as the Motor License Fund.

The $234-per-resident figure represents the state’s current average cost of providing police coverage to municipalities without their own departments, based on total statewide spending. It is not a fixed rate under the proposed legislation.

Instead, House Bill 2284 would create a sliding-scale fee structure, with costs varying based on population, service levels and other factors.

Fleming argued the current system places an uneven burden on taxpayers, noting that about two-thirds of municipalities rely on state police patrols while accounting for only about a quarter of Pennsylvania’s population.

The legislation proposes phasing out that subsidy by charging municipalities an annual fee based on population and level of service, with reduced rates for part-time coverage and exemptions for communities that create or join local or regional police departments.

The bill has been referred to the House Local Government Committee, where it remains pending without a vote.

Fallowfield Twp. officials weigh options

The issue surfaced publicly in Fallowfield during a recent meeting, where Supervisor Joe Sopcak said residents have raised questions about the potential impact.

“I’ve been approached by several people in the township,” Sopcak said, explaining that the bill targets municipalities like Fallowfield that rely on the Pennsylvania State Police.

Sopcak described the proposal as layered and uncertain, with possible fees tied to factors such as crime rates and service levels.

While he said the bill could pass the House, he expressed skepticism about its prospects in the Senate.

“I know quite a few people — it’s probably dead on the Senate side,” he said, adding that legal challenges would likely follow if it advances. “One of those challenges … is whether it amounts to double taxation.”

Even so, Sopcak said township officials are taking a proactive approach.

“We’re going to look at all the options in the event that this passes,” he said.

Those options could include joining a regional police force or reestablishing a local department — both of which come with significant costs.

“I’m a businessman. I do a lot of negotiating. All of these are costly. How do you offset that cost?” Sopcak said. Regionalization could be one path, but it remains a longterm consideration.

Supervisor Chairman Bruce Smith said township officials have also sought clarification on whether paying a surcharge would improve police coverage.

“What we’ve been told — can’t say it’s official — is probably not,” Smith said.

Sopcak added that while details remain unclear, municipalities may have options to pay for expanded or full-time coverage under the proposal.

“My understanding is that you would have the option … full-time coverage at any time, or part-time,” he said.

Regional impact across SW PA

The potential impact of the proposal varies widely across the region.

In Washington County, roughly two-thirds of the county’s 66 municipalities rely on either Pennsylvania State Police coverage — which would be subject to the proposed surcharge — or shared regional arrangements, based on data from a 2020 report by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget and Finance Committee that examined municipal police services statewide.

State municipal records show a similar pattern in Fayette County, where a majority of communities depend on state police or contracted services.

Westmoreland County presents a more mixed picture, with about one-third of municipalities relying on state police coverage, while Allegheny County stands in sharp contrast, where only a small number of municipalities depend on the state police and most maintain their own departments or contract with neighboring agencies.

The variation suggests the proposal could have a greater impact on smaller, more rural communities that depend on state police for primary coverage.

The proposed legislation cites a familiar debate against the backdrop of a decades-long shift in how Mon Valley communities provide police services.

Regional policing has become more common in recent decades, particularly among smaller municipalities facing rising costs and staffing challenges.

One of the earliest examples is the RESA Regional Police Department, formed in 1990, which serves the boroughs of Roscoe, Elco, Stockdale, Allenport and Dunlevy, A similar approach led to the creation of the Charleroi Regional Police Department in 2012, consolidating coverage for multiple municipalities.

CRPD provides coverage to Charleroi, North Charleroi and Speers, with Twilight Borough also contracted for police service through the department.

Fallowfield Township took a different path, disbanding its police department at the end of 2010 and transitioning entirely to Pennsylvania State Police coverage rather than joining a regional force.

Elsewhere in the region, municipalities have continued experimenting with alternatives. Forward Township in Allegheny County eliminated its police department in April 2022 and entered into a service agreement with Elizabeth Township Police.

In late 2023, Elizabeth Borough voted to disband its own department and contract with Elizabeth Township for coverage beginning in 2024.

That arrangement also expanded Elizabeth Township Police coverage into West Elizabeth Borough, which had previously contracted police services through Elizabeth Borough.

For now, the bill remains in its early stages, but township officials say the proposal has already revived discussions in Fallowfield about the longterm future of police coverage and how the community would respond if the state shifts more of the cost onto municipalities.

“We’re a long way from that,” Sopcak said. “I just want everybody to be aware that we’re looking at it.”