Welcome to the latest edition of TJCTC Updates!
As registration for a new year’s programs is just around the corner, we thought that our Updates could use a refresh as well. You will now see three major headings – Important Updates (legal updates, caselaw, and hot topics), Upcoming Events (live education events and new online courses from TJCTC), and Learning Opportunities (education events from other agencies, articles, board questions of the month, and other online learning).
This Update includes a very special section related to Special Session Bills that were signed into law on 9/17, the very last day of our Legislative Update Programs. Also make sure to take a look at the slate of FY26 programs open for registration in the coming weeks. Finally, take some time to celebrate our US Constitution and find some resources to share with your communities.
Special Session Bill Summaries
There were several bills passed during the 2nd Special Session of the Legislature that impact justice courts and constables last week. One in particular was HB 16 which related to practices and procedures of the judicial branch. A change that we anticipated related to reinstating the $100 fee for Ch. 55A expunctions was included in this bill. This change means that the $100 fee is now back in effect, and was only not applicable from 9/1/2025-9/16/2025. This is a different effective date than what was in the Legislative Updates. See the summaries below for more information.
Deskbooks, Forms, and Other Materials Updates
We have received lots of questions about updates to our materials, and rest easy, we are working on it! Several updated forms went live on September 1, and we will continue to roll out updated materials as they are completed.
Note, changes for laws going to effect in January will be implemented and posted in November and December. This includes changes to eviction forms and the Evictions Deskbook. Remember, you can see when a form, chart, checklist or deskbook was updated on the page where you download it.
Registration Coming Soon!
Did you know that we are just days out from registration for the FY26 Academic Year Conferences and Workshops??
Registration will open at 8:00 am (Please don’t wake up at midnight…you will be disappointed!) on the following dates:
Justices of the Peace – September 30, 2025
Court Personnel – early October 7, 2025 & regular October 14, 2025
Constables & Deputies – October 21, 2025
*Note: Only court personnel notified by TJCTC are eligible for early registration. This registration is for court personnel who were unable to attend a conference last year. If anyone who is not eligible registers, they will be removed from the registration list and may not get a slot during regular registration.
Click the buttons below to see the agendas, dates, and locations of programs.
Highlight on Evictions & Landlord/Tenant Issues
All conferences this year will feature sessions about evictions and landlord/tenant issues and will be updated with all of the new legislative changes.
There will also be special programming exclusively on these topics. One example is the workshop for justices of the peace:
Justice of the Peace Virtual Evictions Workshop – November 12 – 14, 2025 via Zoom
Legal Question of the Month
Question: New EPO Law. Is 31 Days No Longer an Option? I have read several explanations that are vague and confusing. I did see the 31 day option with a line through it in the new law. I have issued many 31 day EPO’s as a “Cooling off” period. Do I still have the Authority to issue a 31 Day EPO? I think 61 days is a bit too long for many of the EPO’s.
Answer:
No. The line through 31 in the new law means that it has been deleted. This is the new law for the timeframes of EPOs issued on/after 9/1/25:
✳️ If EPO is issued under 17.292(a) (discretionary if one of the listed offenses) or 17.292(b)(1) (mandatory due to serious bodily injury to the victim of FV offense): Timeframe is now at least 61 but no more than 91 days after issuance (instead of 31 and 61).
✳️ If EPO is issued under 17.292(b)(2) (mandatory due to the use or exhibition of a deadly weapon during the commission of an assault in FV situation): Timeframe is now at least 91 but no more than 121 days after issuance (instead of 61 and 91).
Celebrating Constitution Day
Wednesday, September 17, 2025 was Constitution Day, but the celebration and learning doesn’t have to end.
The National Constitution Center, Duquesne University, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Judicial Independence graciously shared with all state judicial educators a video they produced about the importance of judicial independence in our Constitutional democracy. The video features retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in a conversation with Duquesne University President Ken Gormley (a leading Constitutional scholar).
This video was specifically produced with education in mind, and is perfect to share with teachers and other community members interested in having a discussion on this topic. Feel free to share this with your community or host a discussion. They also provided discussion questions for high schoolers and college students to get you started.
