Pennsylvania Bills

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1364: An Act amending the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, in creation of leases, statute of frauds and mortgaging of leaseholds, further providing for leases for not more than three years and for leases for more than three years and providing for notice of building credit through rent reporting program for residential leases; and providing for reporting rent payment information to consumer reporting agency program.

This bill updates Pennsylvania's Landlord and Tenant Act to clarify rules for residential leases and introduce new rent reporting options. It maintains the existing requirement that leases lasting more than three years must be in writing, while confirming that shorter leases can be oral or written. Additionally, the bill mandates that landlords provide written notice to tenants about a building credit program where rent payments are reported to consumer agencies. This notice must be signed by the tenant at the start of the lease, regardless of whether the agreement is oral or written. The legislation also establishes a separate opt-in program allowing landlords to report on-time rent payments to consumer reporting agencies to help tenants build credit.

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1371: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, further providing for enrollment limitation.

This bill updates Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to establish stricter rules for when individuals can switch managed care health plans. It requires people who qualify for public assistance to stay in their current plan for at least twelve months unless they meet specific criteria to change. The law allows switching without a reason during a short window after first joining a plan, once a year during a designated enrollment period, or at any time for documented "good cause" such as moving, religious objections, or poor quality of care. To approve a switch based on quality issues, the department must review objective evidence like medical records or official complaints rather than relying on general dissatisfaction. The state must also follow federal regulations when implementing these changes and provide a process for appealing denied requests.

Topics ✗ Healthcare

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1366: An Act amending the act of November 24, 1998 (P.L.882, No.111), known as the Crime Victims Act, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions.

This bill updates Pennsylvania's Crime Victims Act to clarify how "out-of-pocket loss" is defined for reimbursement purposes. It directly affects crime victims by expanding the list of reimbursable expenses to include costs for cleaning a crime scene, temporary relocation of victims and their pets, and physical examinations used to gather evidence. The legislation also specifies that "common household pets" includes domesticated animals like dogs, cats, and birds kept for pleasure. These changes aim to ensure victims can recover more specific costs incurred as a direct result of a criminal incident without covering property damage or pain and suffering.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1367: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in voting by qualified absentee electors, further providing for approval of application for absentee ballot and for canvassing of official absentee ballots and mail-in ballots; in voting by qualified mail-in electors, further providing for approval of application for mail-in ballot; and, in Election Integrity Grant Program, further providing for funding for elections.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to update procedures for absentee and mail-in voting and to provide funding for election integrity. It clarifies the definition of "pre-canvass" to include preparing ballots for scanning while explicitly excluding the examination of unopened envelopes or the recording of votes. The legislation sets specific timeframes and notice requirements for county boards of elections when pre-canvassing ballots before an election and canvassing them afterward, while allowing candidate and party representatives to observe these meetings. Additionally, it establishes that challenges to the approval of absentee ballot applications can only be based on voter qualifications, not on whether the applicant chose an absentee or mail-in ballot form.

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1361: An Act amending the act of April 18, 2016 (P.L.128, No.17), known as the Pennsylvania ABLE Act, in exemptions, providing for exclusion of contributions for purposes of determining need for disabled veterans' real estate tax exemption.

This bill updates Pennsylvania's ABLE Act to help disabled veterans keep their real estate tax exemptions. It allows money deposited into an ABLE savings account to be ignored when calculating whether a veteran meets the financial need requirements for this tax break. The change ensures that contributions made to these special savings accounts do not count as annual income for eligibility purposes. This policy will apply to tax determinations made on or after January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Veterans

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1350: An Act amending the act of December 17, 1968 (P.L.1224, No.387), known as the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law, further providing for definitions and for unlawful acts or practices and exclusions; and providing for conduct relating to reproductive health data and sexual health data.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law to specifically regulate how businesses collect and handle reproductive and sexual health data. It requires companies to obtain consumer consent, limit data collection to what is necessary for specific services, and provide clear options for users to access or delete this sensitive information. Additionally, the legislation restricts sharing this data with third parties unless there is valid consent or a legal mandate, while also establishing a process for the Attorney General to issue violation notices before taking enforcement action.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1363: An Act providing for public utility credit reporting; and imposing duties on public utilities.

This bill establishes a new Public Utility Credit Act requiring public utilities in Pennsylvania to report credit information related to utility services. It defines "public utility" broadly to include providers of electricity, gas, water, transportation, and telecommunications, while explicitly excluding private generators, nonprofit cooperatives, and certain resort water services. The legislation imposes specific duties on these utilities to maintain and share credit data, aiming to create a standardized system for tracking payment history. By mandating these reporting requirements, the bill seeks to improve credit visibility for utility customers without advocating for specific regulatory outcomes.

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1365: An Act amending Titles 74 (Transportation) and 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Multimodal Fund, further providing for use of money in fund; in preliminary provisions relating to aviation, further providing for definitions and for Aviation Restricted Account and providing for Aviation Trust Fund; in authority of Department of Transportation, further providing for authority of department; in obstructions to aircraft operation, providing for prohibited conduct; in airport operation and zoning, providing for abandoned or derelict aircraft and further providing for power to adopt airport zoning regulations; in aviation development, further providing for service fees, for tax on aviation fuels, for allocation of funds, for agreement of maintenance and for tax on jet fuels and providing for tax on alternative aviation fuels and for aviation fees; in liquid fuels and fuels tax, further providing for imposition of tax, exemptions and deductions, for distributor's report and payment of tax, for disposition and use of tax and for refunds; imposing fees; imposing penalties; making transfers; abrogating regulations; and making editorial changes.

This bill updates Pennsylvania laws to create new funding accounts and taxes specifically for aviation activities. It establishes an Aviation Restricted Account and an Aviation Trust Fund, directing millions of dollars annually to the Department of Transportation for airport programs and aviation development. The legislation also introduces new taxes on aviation fuels, including jet fuel and alternative fuels like hydrogen and electricity, while defining terms such as "alternative aviation fuel" and "aircraft operating area." Additionally, the bill grants the Department of Transportation authority to adopt airport zoning regulations, address abandoned aircraft, and impose penalties for obstructing aircraft operations.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

Dan Laughlin (R) · 17 co-sponsors

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 5, 2026

HB 2603: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in wiretapping and electronic surveillance, further providing for definitions and providing for wearable recording devices; and imposing penalties.

This Pennsylvania bill regulates wearable recording devices, such as smartwatches and glasses, by requiring them to have a visible light that indicates when they are recording audio or video. It mandates that retailers provide customers with clear written notices about how these devices must be operated and prohibits the sale or use of devices that lack this visual indicator or have it disabled. Under the new rules, individuals must obtain explicit consent from anyone they record in private areas, and they cannot record others without their knowledge if the device's visual indicator is missing or turned off. Manufacturers face escalating financial penalties for selling non-compliant devices, while retailers who fail to provide proper notices may incur fines after repeated violations. Law enforcement officers and correctional facility personnel are exempt from these requirements when conducting investigations or ensuring security.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 5, 2026

SB 1362: An Act providing for the Milk Dispensary School Pilot Program; awarding grants; establishing the Milk Dispensary School Pilot Program Account; and imposing duties on the Department of Agriculture.

This bill establishes a ten-year pilot program in Pennsylvania to provide grants for schools to install milk dispensary systems that serve whole milk without packaging. The Department of Agriculture, working with the Center for Dairy Excellence, will manage the program by reviewing applications and funding eligible public and nonpublic schools that participate in federal nutrition programs. Grant recipients must prioritize waste reduction, serve low-income students, source milk locally, and share data on their results. To ensure safety and compliance, the program requires all systems to meet state and federal food standards while schools report quarterly data on milk usage and waste reduction.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Environment

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 5, 2026

HB 2609: An Act designating the portion of U.S. Route 222 from the intersection with Dries Road in Maidencreek Township to the intersection with Kempsville Road in Richmond Township, Berks County, as the Chief Jeffory L. Buck and Assistant Chief Robert R. Shick, Jr., Memorial Highway.

This bill designates a specific stretch of U.S. Route 222 in Berks County as the Chief Jeffory L. Buck and Assistant Chief Robert R. Shick, Jr., Memorial Highway. The legislation honors two firefighters who died in the line of duty while conducting a missing person search along that road in April 2026. To implement this designation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is required to install and maintain official signs bearing the memorial names for traffic traveling in both directions. The act will become effective 60 days after its passage.

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 5, 2026

HB 2363: An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking, further providing for tagging and reporting big game kills, for shipping or transporting big game and for possession and transportation of small game.

This bill updates Pennsylvania hunting laws to require hunters to complete and attach game tags to big game immediately after a kill, before moving the animal. It also clarifies rules for transporting small game without the owner present and ensures that any electronic tagging options offered by the commission must include a free physical tag alternative. The changes aim to standardize how game is reported and moved, with a 60-day delay before the new rules take effect.

Bill results