HB 2344 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 12 (Commerce and Trade) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for protections against coerced debt; and imposing duties on the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

HB 2344 creates a new legal process in Pennsylvania for individuals to dispute debts they claim were incurred under coercion, such as domestic violence, fraud, or intimidation. The bill requires the state Treasury Department to develop a specific petition form that debtors must complete and submit to creditors, including details about the alleged abuse and documentation from qualified third parties like doctors or domestic violence advocates. If a creditor receives this petition, they are obligated to respond within ten business days and may request additional information to resolve the dispute in good faith. This legislation directly affects consumers facing debt collection and creditors who must handle claims of coerced debt according to these new procedural rules.
Bill status in committee 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2026
Committee Review
Jun 2026
House Passage
Jun 2026
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 31, 2026 Last action Jun 17, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN3117 Printer's No. PN3639 · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill text was updated to reflect its status after being reported from the Judiciary Committee with amendments. The most significant substantive change is a shift in authority: the Treasury Department is no longer solely responsible for developing the coerced debt dispute petition; instead, the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts is now authorized to do so. Additionally, the requirement for the petition to include specific information was changed from mandatory to optional, and the Treasury Department's role in posting the petition on the internet was similarly changed from mandatory to optional.
Scope change
The bill's operational scope shifted from being administered solely by the Treasury Department to involving the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, which now holds the authority to develop the dispute petition and may post it online.
REQUIREMENT

The requirement for the dispute petition to include specific information was changed from mandatory ('must include') to optional ('may include').

The mandate for the Treasury Department to develop the coerced debt dispute petition was changed to give the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts the authority to do so.

The mandate for the Treasury Department to post the petition on its website was changed to give the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts the authority to do so.

DEFINITION

A new definition for 'Administrative Office' was added to clarify it refers to the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts.

ENFORCEMENT

The bill's header was updated to indicate it is the new version (PN 3639) following committee amendments, replacing the old version (PN 3117).

Floor votes · House Jun 17, 2026

How they voted

260
Passed
Total votes 26
Jun 17, 2026
D Democratic14
14 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican12
12 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
5
Key actions
2
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Jun 17, 2026
House · Passed
House Vote: pass (26-0)
house
Jun 17, 2026
Committee
Re-committed to Rules
lower
Jun 17, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Committee
Referred to Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors