HB 257 updates Pennsylvania laws across multiple transportation and gaming areas. It creates new rules for minor driver licensing (including junior licenses and learners' permits), adds penalties for drug delivery on transit, and allows operating controlled substance injection sites near public transit infrastructure. The bill also adjusts interactive gaming taxes, establishes a new highway funding account for state routes, and defines terms for sustainable mobility programs. These changes directly affect drivers (especially minors), transit operators, gaming businesses, and local transportation authorities.
HB 1788 amends Pennsylvania's transportation laws to improve oversight of transit authorities and fund infrastructure projects. It requires metropolitan transportation authorities to meet new performance standards for fare evasion, bus routes, and public-private partnerships, with consequences for non-compliance. The bill establishes the Public Transportation Trust Fund (funded by 6.15% of certain tax revenues), the Road and Bridge Project Fund for highway maintenance, and a Sinking Fund for bond repayment. These funds will finance road/bridge projects, while mandatory annual reports to legislative committees will track authority spending and progress toward fiscal goals.
HB 1574 creates a new loan program and fund to help local redevelopment authorities start community renewal projects. It establishes a Redevelopment Authority Startup Fund to provide low-interest loans for initiatives like rebuilding neighborhoods or revitalizing downtown areas. This directly affects cities and towns with active redevelopment agencies, giving them a new way to finance early-stage projects. The bill amends the Fiscal Code to set up this funding mechanism, changing how these local agencies access capital for urban renewal efforts.
HB 1572 modifies Pennsylvania's historic preservation tax credit program by setting new annual spending limits and allocation rules. It caps total annual tax credits at $20 million (excluding unused prior-year credits), limits credits to $1.5 million per project owner annually (up from $500,000), and requires equitable regional distribution of credits - reallocating unclaimed funds to other regions. The bill directly affects historic preservation project owners seeking tax credits for rehabilitation work. These changes apply to fiscal years starting July 1, 2025, and aim to manage program funding more systematically.
HB 1650 establishes Pennsylvania's Home Preservation Grant Program, administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development. It provides grants to local governments (counties, cities, townships) to fund repairs and improvements on existing owner-occupied homes, targeting households earning 80-120% of the area median income. Grants can cover up to $50,000 per unit for habitability fixes, energy/water efficiency upgrades, or accessibility modifications, with local governments allowed to use up to 10% of funds for administration. Applications must demonstrate experience in housing rehabilitation and include plans for using funds per the bill's requirements, with priority given to projects leveraging additional funding sources.
HB 1339 allocates specific funds to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It uses money from a restricted revenue account within the state's General Fund and Federal augmentation funds to cover the PUC's operational costs. This bill, now law as Act No. 8A of 2025, directly affects the PUC's budget and ensures funding for its regulatory activities during the specified fiscal period.
HB 1420 provides funding from a designated restricted revenue account within the state's General Fund to the Office of Consumer Advocate, which operates under the Office of the Attorney General. This bill directly supports the Office of Consumer Advocate’s existing work representing consumers in disputes with utilities, insurance, and other regulated services. The key provision is a specific financial appropriation to ensure the office has resources to handle consumer complaints and investigations. As a funding measure, it does not create new laws or alter consumer rights but allocates existing state funds to a specific agency. (This is a procedural funding bill, so the summary is concise as required.)
HB 1340 allocates funds collected from Pennsylvania's gaming activities (including state lotteries, fantasy contests, and video gaming) to four state agencies for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Specifically, it directs money from the State Gaming Fund, Fantasy Contest Fund, and Video Gaming Fund to the Attorney General, Department of Revenue, Pennsylvania State Police, and Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. The bill covers both new spending for the upcoming fiscal year and payments for bills incurred but unpaid as of June 30, 2025. This is a routine budget authorization, not a policy change, and it became law on June 27, 2025 (Act No. 9A of 2025).
HB 1334 allocates funding from the Workmen's Compensation Administration Fund to Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry, Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Office of Small Business Advocate. It covers expenses for administering the Workers' Compensation Act, Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act, and the Small Business Advocate program for fiscal year 2025-2026, including payments for unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year. The bill directly affects state agencies responsible for worker compensation, occupational disease claims, and small business support services. This is a routine appropriations measure to ensure ongoing operations of these programs, not a policy change. The bill was signed into law as Act No. 3A of 2025 on June 27, 2025.
HB 1333 allocates funds from specific state accounts (the Professional Licensure Augmentation Account and restricted General Fund revenue) to the Department of State's Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. This funding supports the professional licensure boards responsible for regulating occupations like nursing, engineering, and real estate. The bill provides the necessary budget resources for these boards to operate, including processing applications and enforcing licensing standards. As a funding measure, it directly affects the administrative operations of these boards but does not create new licensing requirements or change eligibility for professionals.
