HB 2098 establishes a new Office of Manufactured Home Ombudsman to help residents resolve disputes with community operators. It creates a Manufactured Home Hearing Board to handle formal disputes (like eviction cases) and sets up a Restricted Account for program funding. The bill consolidates existing manufactured home community laws under a single chapter and requires the Department of Community and Economic Development to oversee implementation. These changes apply to all Pennsylvania manufactured home communities - defined as sites with three or more homes for residential use - directly affecting residents, operators, and community owners.
SB 1116 requires Pennsylvania public schools to provide age-appropriate instruction on communism beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates teaching the origins of communist ideology, historical communist regimes, documented human rights abuses under such systems, survivor accounts, and comparisons between communist governance and U.S. democratic principles (including constitutional protections and freedoms). The Pennsylvania Department of Education must develop and distribute curriculum materials, primary sources, and teacher training by May 2026, integrating lessons into existing courses like history and civics. Schools must report annually on implementation, with all materials and summaries made publicly available online. The bill defines "communism" as a political ideology advocating for centralized economic control and one-party rule, and "totalitarian ideology" as systems suppressing dissent and individual freedoms.
SB 1085, the "Good Jobs for Quality Care Act," establishes a Direct Care Worker Wage Advisory Board within Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services to address recruitment and retention challenges for direct care workers. The bill sets a minimum wage for these workers - defined as individuals providing hands-on care in home, community, or nursing home settings to elderly or disabled individuals (including personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants) - and creates a statewide registry to track their employment. The Advisory Board, composed of worker representatives, employers, and care recipients, will examine factors like compensation and work schedules to make recommendations. The bill also includes penalties for violations of its minimum wage and registry requirements.
This Senate Resolution (SR 203) designates November 2025 as "Lung Cancer Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. It symbolically recognizes ongoing improvements in lung cancer detection, treatment access, and survival rates within the state, as documented in the American Lung Association's 2025 report. The resolution encourages Pennsylvania residents to learn more about lung cancer detection and treatment options but does not create new laws or funding. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no binding effect on policy or resources.
This Senate Resolution (SR 200) establishes a Special Committee to investigate the April 13, 2025, attack at the Governor's residence in Harrisburg, which resulted in criminal charges against Cody Balmer. The committee will examine the attack itself, a security review report by former PSP Commissioner Jeffrey Miller (delivered April 28, 2025), and related security upgrades at the residence. Key mechanisms include subpoena power for witnesses and documents, authority to hire staff, and a 90-day deadline to submit findings to Senate leadership. The resolution addresses concerns about public release of security details raised by the PSP.
SB 1019 amends Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act to clarify rules for small-scale renewable energy systems owned by residents and businesses (known as "customer-generators"). It sets specific capacity limits (50 kilowatts for residential systems, 3,000 kilowatts for non-residential locations) and requires that these systems produce no more than a customer's annual electricity use. The bill also changes how excess energy is compensated, capping payments at the utility's "avoided cost" (the cost the utility would incur to generate that energy) instead of full retail rates. This directly affects homeowners and small businesses with solar or wind systems seeking to sell surplus power back to the grid.
HB 2085 requires public water systems serving over 100 connections to maintain minimum disinfectant levels (0.5 mg/L chlorine or 1.0 mg/L chloramine) to prevent Legionella bacteria growth. It mandates these systems to develop annual maintenance plans based on state-developed "best management practices" covering infrastructure monitoring, flushing schedules, and stagnation prevention. The bill also requires public water systems to report disruptions (like treatment changes or infrastructure failures) to the Department of Environmental Protection within 72 hours. Additionally, it creates a Legionnaires' Disease Awareness Fund for public education and imposes duties on both the DEP and Department of Health to manage risk and investigate outbreaks. This directly affects water providers, building owners, and public health agencies across Pennsylvania.
HB 2086 repeals two existing provisions: Section 704 (which established advisory councils for Pennsylvania's veterans' homes) and Section 1705 (which created a "veterans' home hall of fame"). The bill replaces these with a new State Veterans' Home Board to oversee state veterans' homes. This change directly affects Pennsylvania's veterans' homes by shifting governance from appointed advisory councils to the new board, while removing the commemorative hall of fame program. The bill focuses on structural changes to administration rather than altering resident care policies or admission criteria.
HB 2095 creates a program allowing Pennsylvania school districts to request waivers from specific requirements of the Public School Code, regulations, or standards. School districts must adopt a board resolution to apply, or intermediate units can apply for multiple districts if all member districts approve. The Department of Education must review applications within 60 days (automatic approval if no decision is made), and districts must submit evaluations after five years to renew waivers showing improved student performance or operations. Certain provisions, such as those related to student safety and assessments, are explicitly exempt from waiver requests.
HB 2094 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to update how the state handles revenue estimates in its budget process. It requires the Department of Revenue and Budget Secretary to jointly prepare revenue estimates that separately show State revenues, Federal funds, and other sources when creating the budget. The bill also sets rules for the Governor to veto spending that exceeds the official revenue estimate plus unused budget funds, and allows adjustments if new laws change revenue projections during the fiscal year. These changes apply to all state budget decisions after the law takes effect.
HB 2096 establishes a legal framework for direct primary care in Pennsylvania, allowing physicians to provide routine health services (like preventive care and chronic condition management) through written agreements with patients in exchange for a direct fee (e.g., monthly membership or retainer). These medical service agreements are explicitly exempt from state insurance regulations and must clearly state they do not provide comprehensive health insurance coverage. Patients may use health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts to pay for these agreements, subject to federal and state rules. The bill requires all agreements to be in writing, specify covered services and fees, allow termination with notice, and include the required disclaimer.
HB 2092 requires Pennsylvania school districts to use state funds received for approved school construction projects to reduce the associated debt rather than treating them as general revenue. Districts that received funds before the bill's effective date must reduce debt by the full amount of those funds, while districts receiving funds after must apply the funds directly to the project's debt. As debt is reduced, districts must lower their property tax rates (millage) proportionally. This applies to all school districts with construction projects approved under the Fiscal Code, directly affecting how they manage debt and local tax rates.
