HB 1577 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in children and youth, providing for ensuring safe and humane institutional practices.

HB 1577 amends the Human Services Code to establish requirements for ensuring safe and humane practices in residential facilities caring for children and youth. It directly affects children in group homes, foster care settings, and similar institutions by mandating specific standards for their treatment and safety. The key provision requires these facilities to implement and maintain practices that prioritize child well-being and prevent harm. The bill passed the House on July 9, 2025, and is now referred to the Aging & Youth committee for further consideration.

Tags: Children

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jun 2025

Committee Review

Jul 2025

House Passage

Jul 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Jun 9, 2025 Last action Jul 31, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN1864 → Printer's No. PN2098 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill update strengthens protections for children in state facilities by clarifying that restrictive procedures cannot be used for punishment and mandating that staff be available to help children de-escalate during behavioral incidents. It also expands reporting requirements, changing monthly reports to quarterly ones while adding specific data points on physical restraints and invasive searches to improve transparency.

Scope change

The bill's scope of applicability remains the same, but the requirements for facility operations and public reporting have been expanded and clarified.

REQUIREMENT

Restrictive procedures and rights restrictions are explicitly prohibited from being used as punishment or retaliation.

Facilities must ensure a social worker or support staff is immediately available to assist children during behavioral incidents.

ENFORCEMENT

Public reporting frequency changed from monthly to quarterly to reduce administrative burden while maintaining oversight.

New reporting categories added for physical/mechanical restraints, strip searches, and cavity searches to increase transparency.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'restraint' was expanded to explicitly include mechanical devices, clarifying what counts as a restraint.

ADDED

Search documentation now requires listing the names and positions of staff conducting the search.

Floor votes · House Jul 8, 2025

How they voted

203–0

Passed

Total votes 203

Jul 8, 2025

D Democratic102

102 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican101

101 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Jul 31, 2025

Committee

Referred to Aging & Youth

upper

Jul 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third consideration and final passage

lower

Jul 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jul 8, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (203-0)

house

Jul 8, 2025

Committee

Re-committed to Appropriations

lower

Jul 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jun 17, 2025

Committee

Re-committed to Rules

lower

Jun 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported as committed

lower

Jun 9, 2025

Committee

Referred to Children & Youth

lower

1 primary · 14 co-sponsors