HARRISBURG, Pa.-- Pennsylvania could soon have some of the nation's strictest penalties for hazing. The Timothy J. Piazza anti-hazing law is headed to Governor Tom Wolf's desk, after the bill was passed by the Senate on Monday.
The bill is named after the Penn State Sophomore who died in a hazing incident, in February 2017. According to investigators Piazza died after he fell down a flight of stairs, following a night of heavy drinking at a Beta Theta Pi Fraternity Ritual at Penn State.
The anti-hazing law is sponsored by Senate Majority Leader, Jake Corman. When the bill passed in the House on Wednesday Corman said, "We are embarking on the final journey for Tim's family who have turned their personal tragedy in to a mission to save others."
Wolf released a statement on Monday about the bill saying he will sign it, and once enacted the law will require schools to have stronger reporting procedures for hazing and will make sure students and parents are notified of any hazing violations. He said it will also give prosecutors more tools to go after the people who commit hazing-related crimes.