This morning I met with the Honorable Mario Scavello. The conversation that was discussed was amending the PA Wiretap Statute to conform with the Federal Wiretap Statute.
NOTE: Both Statutes are exclusive and this plays a major role in this case. Since both laws are exclusive, the Federal Law Preempts State Law.
The Federal Law states:
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 119 > § 2511(2)(d)
It shall not be unlawful under this chapter for a person not acting under color of law to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication where such person is a party to the communication or where one of the parties to the communication has given prior consent to such interception unless such communication is intercepted for the purpose of committing any criminal or tortious act in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States or of any State.
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/ ... -000-.html
While State Law can make a more stricter version of a Federal Law,
it can not conflict with the Federal Law if they are both exclusive Laws. The Federal Law shall Preempt the State Law.
Types of preemption
Two situations where preemption claims might or may arise: express preemption and implied preemption.
Express preemption occurs where Congress says within the statute 'we hereby preempt'
or uses words of similar import. Here, federal laws are explicitly precluding state and local regulations.
Implied preemption has, within itself, three sub-categories: conflicts preemption, preemption because
state law impedes the achievement of a federal objective, and
preemption because federal law occupies the field.
Conflicts preemption is where
it is impossible to comply with both the federal statute and the state or local law. In this situation, the federal statute must be followed. It is, however, appropriate to have two laws, one federal and one state, that differ. The federal law, in this case, may be a minimum standard, while the state enacts a law to be more strict. State law, therefore, would not be preempted.
Preemption would only occur if the federal and state laws were mutually exclusive.
The second type of implied preemption is preemption because
state law impedes the achievement of a federal objective. This type of preemption occurs when a
state or local law interferes with a goal or objective Congress was trying to attain with a federal statute. The purpose of each law must be determined and compared to each other. If both laws are trying to achieve the same goal, federal law will preempt the state or local regulation.
The final type of implied preemption is
preemption because federal law occupies the field. In this situation, one must look at
Congress's intent, and whether the federal law was meant to be exclusive in that area. The most common examples are in areas of foreign policy and immigration. Implied preemption has also been held to apply to the Labor Management Relations Act (LMRA), giving the federal government the exclusive jurisdiction to resolve Labor Union versus Employer contract disputes, as well as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), giving the federal government exclusive jurisdiction (with minor exceptions) over enforcement of the substantive provisions of employer-sponsored Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans (Cigna v. Calad, 2004), under the assumption that these laws were made "in Pursuance" of the Constitution
So, since Federal Law occupies the field, the State and Federal Laws conflict with both exclusive laws, it impedes with the objective of the Federal Law and it is impossible to comply with the Federal Statute and State Law. The Federal Law must preempt State Law.
Honorable Mario Scavello is going to write up a bill to amend this Statute and submit it to the House. He stated that I would get the Bill number about February.
As this progesses, I shall post it accordingly.