Pennsylvania Bills

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 9, 2025

HB 2093: An Act amending Title 72 (Taxation and Fiscal Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for unspent appropriations.

HB 2093 requires Pennsylvania state agencies to report unspent budget funds annually to the Auditor General. Specifically, agencies must submit detailed financial data by November 15 each year, and the Auditor General must analyze these reports and submit a comprehensive written report to the legislature by December 30. The report must break down unspent funds by agency and budget line item, summarize totals by fund type, and provide recommendations to prevent waste, inefficiency, or fraud. This applies to all Commonwealth agencies, including departments, boards, universities (like Penn State and Pitt), and entities such as the Gaming Control Board and Turnpike Commission. The bill aims to improve fiscal transparency and accountability for state spending.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 9, 2025

HB 2097: An Act amending Title 72 (Taxation and Fiscal Affairs) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for Commonwealth capital improvement plans, for duties of State agencies, for debt limit for capital projects, for prohibition on exceeding debt limit for capital projects and for legislative oversight; and making an editorial change.

HB 2097 requires Pennsylvania's Governor to create and publish an annual Commonwealth capital improvement plan by February 1 each year. The plan must detail proposed capital projects (like building construction or major equipment) for the next three years, their costs, funding methods (including bond issuance), and a review of past projects, with public posting for comment. It also establishes a debt limit for capital projects and prohibits exceeding this limit, requiring legislative oversight to monitor compliance. This affects state agencies managing capital projects and the Governor's office in planning and reporting state spending.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 9, 2025

HB 2091: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, providing for Federal funds oversight.

HB 2091 requires Pennsylvania state agencies to submit detailed pre-acceptance reports to the Governor, General Assembly, Auditor General, and other oversight bodies before taking federal funds. These reports must include program details, performance goals, funding timelines, cost breakdowns (personnel, maintenance, etc.), and analysis of how federal requirements impact state operations. Agencies must also establish a public transparency portal showing daily federal spending and use federal funds to offset existing state costs - rather than creating new programs - while ensuring no budget deficit if federal funding ends. The bill mandates quarterly updates to oversight bodies and requires reporting of fraud to state and federal agencies like the Attorney General and U.S. Inspector General.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 9, 2025

HB 2065: An Act amending the act of March 1, 1974 (P.L.90, No.24), known as the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act of 1973, providing for prohibited pesticides.

HB 2065 amends Pennsylvania's pesticide law to prohibit the use of paraquat (identified by CAS number 4685-14-7 and related chemicals like methyl viologen) for any agricultural or pest control purposes within the state. This directly affects farmers, agricultural businesses, and pesticide applicators who currently use paraquat-based products. The bill explicitly bans its application, defines paraquat through specific chemical identifiers, and states that all conflicting regulations are superseded. The prohibition takes effect one year after the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 9, 2025

HB 2088: An Act amending the act of March 20, 2002 (P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act, in medical professional liability, further providing for definitions and for expert qualifications.

HB 2088 amends Pennsylvania's MCARE Act to clarify requirements for medical malpractice lawsuits. It defines a "certificate of merit" as a written statement from a licensed expert confirming a doctor's care fell below professional standards, requiring this to be filed with the complaint or within 60 days of filing. The bill mandates that experts testifying about medical standards must be licensed physicians actively practicing or recently retired (within five years) in the same specialty as the defendant doctor, with board certification in that specialty. These changes directly affect patients filing malpractice claims, doctors defending such claims, and medical experts providing testimony.

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 9, 2025

SB 912: An Act amending Title 44 (Law and Justice) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in DNA data and testing, further providing for policy, for definitions, for State DNA Data Base, for State Police recommendation of additional offenses and annual report, for DNA sample required upon conviction, delinquency adjudication and certain ARD cases, for DNA data base exchange, for expungement and for mandatory cost; and making an editorial change.

SB 912 expands Pennsylvania's DNA collection requirements to include individuals convicted of or adjudicated for criminal homicide, felony sex offenses, and certain other specified offenses (like specific misdemeanors such as simple assault or indecent exposure). It establishes a statewide DNA database under the State Police to store forensic profiles from these individuals, as well as DNA from missing persons and unidentified decedents. The bill mandates annual reports tracking demographic data, costs, and processing times for DNA samples, and includes provisions for expunging DNA records. It directly affects people convicted of covered offenses by requiring DNA samples upon conviction or adjudication, with samples stored in the state database for forensic use.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 9, 2025

SB 1096: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for supplemental funding for rural infrastructure.

SB 1096 amends Pennsylvania's vehicle laws to allocate supplemental state funding specifically for rural infrastructure projects, such as road and bridge repairs. This bill directly affects rural communities and local governments in Pennsylvania that maintain infrastructure in less populated areas. The key mechanism provides new state funds within the existing transportation budget framework, targeting improvements to aging rural roads and bridges. The bill does not change vehicle regulations but adds dedicated resources for infrastructure maintenance in rural regions.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 9, 2025

SB 1070: An Act amending Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in unconventional gas well fee, further providing for Statewide initiatives.

This bill modifies Pennsylvania's oil and gas fee structure to redirect 40% of remaining revenue from unconventional gas well fees (after 2011) into the Marcellus Legacy Fund. Specifically, 25% of this portion will fund county bridge repairs through the Highway Bridge Improvement Restricted Account. Counties and municipalities can use these funds to repair deteriorated bridges, regardless of federal aid eligibility, by submitting approved repair plans. The funds are distributed proportionally based on county population, and first- or second-class counties may also use them for public transportation authority bridges. This changes how oil and gas fee revenue is allocated to support local infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 8, 2025

SB 176: An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, in compensation, providing for eligibility related to domestic violence.

SB 176 amends Pennsylvania's Unemployment Compensation Law to create a new eligibility exception for individuals who leave work due to domestic violence threatening their safety or their family's safety. This directly affects domestic violence survivors who might otherwise be disqualified from unemployment benefits for voluntarily quitting or failing to attend work. The bill allows applicants to verify domestic violence through protective orders, professional statements, or a self-affirmation (with documentation required within 120 days), while ensuring all records remain confidential and cannot be disclosed to employers. The Department of Labor must expedite eligibility determinations for qualifying applicants and provide automatic relief from employer benefit charges.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 5, 2025

SB 1062: An Act amending the act of March 20, 2002 (P.L.154, No.13), known as the Medical Care Availability and Reduction of Error (Mcare) Act, in administrative provisions, further providing for definitions and for continuing medical education and providing for standards for initial licensure.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's MCare Act to improve care for veterans by requiring medical professionals to address veteran-specific health conditions. It defines "veteran-related illness" to include conditions like PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, and suicide linked to military service. Physicians must complete three hours of training on these illnesses for license renewal, and new license applicants must satisfy curricula covering veteran-related illnesses as part of initial licensure requirements. The changes apply directly to physicians seeking or maintaining medical licenses in Pennsylvania.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 5, 2025

SB 1110: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in registration of vehicles, providing for special plates for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

SB 1110 (Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1110) creates special vehicle license plates for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or frequent occupants of vehicles driven by them. The bill requires the Department of Transportation to design plates featuring "Autistic/Neurodivergent" at the bottom within 60 days, with applications needing a $14 fee (plus registration) and a physician's sworn statement confirming the diagnosis. These plates are limited to passenger vehicles or trucks under 14,000 pounds gross weight and carry the same legal validity as standard plates. The law takes effect 60 days after enactment.

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 5, 2025

SB 1109: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, in realty transfer tax, further providing for exempt parties and for excluded transactions; and abrogating regulations.

SB 1109 amends Pennsylvania's realty transfer tax rules to expand exemptions for certain government entities and conservancies. It adds new exemptions for transfers to or from conservancies (e.g., when a conservancy gives property to the state or a local government) and clarifies that specific agencies like the Pennsylvania Game Commission remain subject to the tax. The bill also removes conflicting existing regulations in the state code. This directly affects real estate transactions involving these entities, reducing tax liability for qualifying transfers.

Bill results