Budget & Taxes

HB 1200 establishes a comprehensive framework for the regulation and treatment of cannabis in Pennsylvania. It creates state-run Pennsylvania Cannabis Stores for sales and a licensing system for private cannabis businesses, including cultivators, processors, and transporters. The bill also provides for the expungement of certain past cannabis convictions and includes provisions for social and economic equity initiatives. It establishes a cannabis excise tax, dedicating revenue to funds for community reinvestment and substance use disorder prevention, and assigns oversight duties to state agencies like the Liquor Control Board.

SB 417 amends Pennsylvania's military affairs laws to expand the use and revenue generation capabilities of Fort Indiantown Gap. It authorizes the Adjutant General to lease portions of the Fort's land to private businesses that benefit the local community and military families, with generated revenue directed to a new fund. The bill also broadens the Fort's purpose to include emergency response training and quality-of-life programs for service members, veterans, and their families. A new restricted fund, the Service Members, Veterans and their Families Fund, is established to receive these revenues and donations, supporting these initiatives.

SB 253 modifies Pennsylvania's tax code to help residents who earn income in other states claim credits for taxes paid there. It allows Pennsylvania residents to claim a credit against their state tax for income taxes paid to other states, limited to the portion of their total income taxed by that other jurisdiction. The bill simplifies documentation by permitting certified statements instead of submitting full state tax returns to verify taxes paid. This change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021, and affects Pennsylvania taxpayers with income subject to taxation in other states.