SB 1141 increases the maximum amount of military service that counts toward retirement benefits from 5 to 10 years for state government employees (under Title 71) and education employees (under Title 24) in Pennsylvania. The bill amends retirement laws to allow this change while ensuring employees with multiple retirement systems (e.g., both state and education systems) cannot count more than 10 total years of military service across both. It specifically affects members of the State Employees' Retirement System and the Public School Employees' Retirement System. The amendment becomes effective 60 days after enactment.
SB 1145 establishes a Compliance Review and Reporting Program to ensure healthcare facilities serving children comply with mandatory reporting laws for suspected sexual abuse or exploitation. It requires the Pennsylvania Department of Health to review facility records during inspections, verify that required reports were filed with child protective services, and confirm reports match patient encounters with the Department of Human Services. Facilities failing to report must have the names of non-reporting mandated healthcare workers recorded, while non-compliant facilities will be publicly listed on the Department of Health’s website (without victim or reporter details). The bill directly affects hospitals and healthcare facilities licensed to provide child medical care, aiming to strengthen enforcement of existing child abuse reporting requirements.
HB 2148 requires Pennsylvania school entities (including school districts, charter schools, and cyber charters) to adopt policies ensuring all students, parents, guardians, and school personnel can access school property regardless of immigration status. Specifically, schools must develop and publicly adopt inclusive policies within 90 days of the bill’s effective date, requiring school boards to approve these policies via public resolution with 45 days’ notice. Policies must be published in all languages spoken by students at home and reviewed quarterly to maintain accessibility. The bill explicitly prohibits immigration or law enforcement officials (including ICE, Customs, and local agencies acting under federal immigration authority) from restricting access to school zones without proper legal process. This directly affects all Pennsylvania public and private schools serving students, mandating concrete procedural changes to protect school access.
SB 1142 creates a new exemption allowing Pennsylvania residents who complete a hunter education program to receive one free antlerless deer license. This license is valid for the year the education course is completed or the following year. The provision applies only to antlerless deer licenses for residents and does not affect other license fees or requirements. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.
This Senate Resolution (SR 209) symbolically designates January 27, 2026, as "International Holocaust Remembrance Day" in Pennsylvania. It recognizes the UN-established date (January 27) commemorating the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and honors Holocaust victims, while affirming the importance of remembering the Holocaust to prevent future genocide and condemn intolerance. As a commemorative resolution, it has no binding legal effect and does not impose new requirements or alter existing laws.
HB 2138 creates a new legal standard for lawsuits alleging "negligent marketing" of firearms by manufacturers or sellers. It requires plaintiffs to prove four specific conditions before a lawsuit can proceed: (1) marketing directly targeted legally prohibited firearm owners, (2) encouraged unlawful firearm use, (3) showed a direct causal link to harm, and (4) demonstrated the manufacturer violated a specific regulatory statute. If these conditions aren't met, courts must dismiss the case and award fees to the defending manufacturer or seller. The bill directly affects plaintiffs seeking to sue firearm companies and provides stronger legal protections for those companies.
HB 2141 amends Pennsylvania's Fiscal Code to adjust how funds from oil and gas leases and forest land use are distributed. It changes the Oil and Gas Lease Fund to include specific rental payments from Commonwealth-owned land (excluding game/fish lands) and updates the allocation of fees from federal/State forest land use. The key provision requires a $3 annual per-acre charge on forest land, split as $1.20 from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and $1.80 from gaming revenue, to be distributed to counties, school districts, and townships where the land is located. This directly affects local governments receiving these payments from Commonwealth-owned forest properties.
HB 2140 limits water and wastewater rate increases for residential customers in Pennsylvania. It caps rate hikes at the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the northeast region, preventing increases exceeding inflation. The bill also requires utilities to stop charging for completed infrastructure projects once costs are recovered and mandates that the Public Utility Commission prioritize service affordability over non-essential capital costs when reviewing rate cases. This directly affects residential households and water/wastewater utilities operating in Pennsylvania.
HB 2137 creates a new "Military Event License Exemption" program for eligible military personnel and veterans in Pennsylvania. It exempts qualifying individuals (veterans with 30%+ service-connected disability, active/reserve members or veterans with Purple Heart, plus one assistant per person) from hunting license fees during approved events. Events must be hosted on private land with landowner approval, last no more than seven days, include no more than 10 participants, and require 14-day advance applications with documentation. The bill also modifies regulated hunting grounds permits to allow labeled packaging instead of tagging for birds killed under permit authority. (Bill: HB 2137, Section 2701(d) and 2928(f.1))
HB 2143 requires the Pennsylvania State Police to maintain a public online list of individuals convicted of animal abuse offenses against companion animals (dogs or cats). The list includes a photo from booking, full name, and other necessary identifying information (but excludes Social Security numbers or driver's license details) for two years after a first conviction or five years after a repeat conviction. Courts must send conviction details to the State Police within 60 days, and the list is automatically updated if a conviction is expunged. This policy directly affects people convicted under Pennsylvania’s cruelty to animals law (18 Pa.C.S. §55), making their records publicly accessible for a defined period.
HB 2142 repeals a 1936 law that imposed an 18% tax on liquor sold by Pennsylvania's state-run liquor stores (operated by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board). The repealed law defined "liquor" and required the Board to collect the tax from customers and remit it to the state treasury, with specific reporting procedures. This bill eliminates the tax requirement and its associated administrative rules, meaning the state will no longer collect this specific tax from liquor sales at state stores. The repeal affects the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's operations and the state's revenue system for this historical tax.
HB 2139 defines "cell-cultured protein" (lab-grown meat made from animal cells grown outside the animal) and prohibits its manufacturing, sale, delivery, holding for sale, or offering for sale in Pennsylvania. The bill directly affects companies developing or selling lab-grown meat products within the state. Key provisions establish a legal definition for this emerging food technology and ban all commercial transactions involving it. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment, creating a clear regulatory restriction on this specific food product type.
