An Act amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for issuance of permits in environmental justice areas.
HB 109 creates a new permit review process for specific industrial facilities in Pennsylvania's designated "environmental justice areas" - communities with high pollution burdens and vulnerable populations (low-income, communities of color). It requires the Department of Environmental Protection to consider cumulative environmental and public health impacts when reviewing permits for facilities like large wastewater plants (50,000+ gal/day), major air polluters, waste sites (25+ tons/month), mining operations, and certain landfills. The bill mandates that permits in these areas must address disproportionate environmental impacts, as defined by demographic, economic, health, and environmental data. This directly affects developers and operators of industrial facilities seeking new or expanded permits in designated communities.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 14, 2025
Last action Apr 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Printer's No. PN0087
→
Printer's No. PN1281
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was significantly expanded to include many more sponsors and updated its printer number to reflect its progress through the legislative process. The core policy changes focus on broadening the definition of 'cumulative environmental impacts' to explicitly include public health and pollution, and expanding the list of facilities requiring special permits to cover more air sources, mining operations, and sewage plants. These changes aim to strengthen environmental justice protections by ensuring a wider range of potentially harmful facilities undergo stricter review in vulnerable communities.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a limited set of specific permits to a broader range of air, waste, mining, and water facilities, while also adding new sponsors to the legislation.
DEFINITION
The definition of 'cumulative environmental impacts' was updated to explicitly include 'public health' alongside environmental impacts and pollution.
SCOPE
The list of facilities requiring special permits was expanded to include additional air sources, mining types, and sewage treatment capacities.
ELIGIBILITY
New sponsors were added to the bill, indicating broader legislative support and potential for further amendments.
TIMELINE
The bill's status was updated from an initial introduction to a reported and amended version, reflecting its progression through the legislative committee.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Environmental & Natural Resource Protection
lower
1 primary · 49 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Greg Vitali
DDemocratic
Co
Abigail Salisbury
DDemocratic
Co
Amen Brown
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Sanchez
DDemocratic
Co
Ben Waxman
DDemocratic
Co
Bob Freeman
DDemocratic
Co
Brian Munroe
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Hill-Evans
DDemocratic
Co
Carol Kazeem
DDemocratic
Co
Chris Pielli
DDemocratic
Co
Chris Rabb
DDemocratic
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HB 109
Scope: PA
Hi! I can help you understand HB 109. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline