Budget & Taxes

passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 17, 2025

SB 975: An Act amending Titles 8 (Boroughs and Incorporated Towns) and 11 (Cities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in powers and duties of elected officials, further providing for completion, filing and publication of auditor's report and financial statement; and, in accounts and finances, further providing for annual reports, publication, filing report with Department of Community and Economic Development and penalty.

SB 975 requires boroughs and cities in Pennsylvania to complete, publish, and file annual financial reports by June 30 each year. It mandates that auditors publish concise financial summaries (showing assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses) in a local newspaper at least 10 days before the annual meeting, and submit full reports to the Department of Community and Economic Development. Municipal officials who fail to meet these deadlines face fines of $5 per day, with fines going to the state. The bill tightens existing reporting rules for local government financial transparency without changing tax policies or service provisions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates annual financial reporting and audits for municipalities, promoting fiscal transparency and accountability in local budget management.90% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 22, 2025

SB 86: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, providing for in-State tuition for undocumented individuals.

SB 86 would allow undocumented students who attended a Pennsylvania high school (public, nonpublic, charter, or cyber charter) for at least two years and graduated to pay in-state tuition at Pennsylvania's public colleges and universities, instead of higher out-of-state rates. It requires institutions to report these admissions to the state and ensures eligible students qualify for state financial aid through PHEAA without needing to provide Social Security numbers. The bill creates an alternative application process for financial aid that excludes Social Security number requirements for these students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state financial aid eligibility for undocumented students, increasing public higher education funding through PHEAA without SSN requirement.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access for undocumented students by eliminating out-of-state tuition barriers and enabling state financial aid eligibility without Social Security numbers.90% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill provides in-state tuition and financial aid access to undocumented students meeting residency criteria, directly advancing immigrant integration and services per indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Financial Aid DACA & Dreamers Driver Licenses & IDs

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Apr 15, 2025

HB 1221: An Act amending Title 15 (Corporations and Unincorporated Associations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to partnerships and limited liability companies, providing for duties of nonprofit corporations in public-private partnerships with the Commonwealth.

HB 1221 requires nonprofit organizations entering public-private partnerships with the Pennsylvania state government (via executive order) to meet new transparency standards. Specifically, these nonprofits must comply with Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law, submit annual financial reports to the Governor and General Assembly using standard government accounting practices, publicly disclose all purchases involving state officials within 10 business days, and adhere to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The bill directly affects nonprofit entities partnering with the Commonwealth, imposing mandatory disclosure and reporting obligations. It takes effect 60 days after enactment, aiming to increase accountability in state-funded nonprofit partnerships.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates transparency in public-private partnerships, requiring financial reporting and disclosure to promote fiscal responsibility and accountability in state spending management.80% confidence

Tags Government Transparency

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 6, 2025

HB 1500: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in preliminary provisions, providing for Cyber Charter School Funding and Policy Council and further providing for advertising and sponsorships; in pupils and attendance, further providing for exceptional children and education and training; in charter schools, further providing for definitions, for funding for cyber charter schools, for powers and duties of department and for assessment and evaluation, providing for fund balance limits, further providing for cyber charter school requirements and prohibitions, providing for cyber charter school fund balance accountability, further providing for establishment of cyber charter school, for cyber charter school application, for enrollment and notification, for enrollee wellness checks and for applicability of other provisions of this act and of other acts and regulations and providing for cyber charter school moratorium; and, in reimbursements by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for extraordinary special education program expenses.

HB 1500 establishes a Cyber Charter School Funding and Policy Council to develop recommendations on funding, governance, and accountability for cyber charter schools by April 2026. The bill requires public school entities to report advertising and sponsorship spending annually, and mandates detailed cost-tracking for special education services based on individualized student plans. It also adds provisions for student wellness checks, enrollment notifications, and fund balance limits for cyber charter schools, while maintaining a moratorium on new cyber charter school approvals. The law directly affects cyber charter schools, public school districts, and students with disabilities in Pennsylvania.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates fund balance limits, cost-tracking for special education, and establishes a funding council for cyber charters, promoting fiscal accountability in state budget allocation for education.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes cyber charter school funding framework, policy council, and accountability measures, advancing alternative school funding models and special education cost-tracking.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding Special Education

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Dec 22, 2025

HB 1768: An Act establishing the Local Food Purchasing Incentive Grant Program, the Keystone Producer Grant Program, the Keystone Assistance Grant Program and the Keystone Fresh Farm to School Account; and imposing duties on the Department of Education and the Department of Agriculture.

HB 1768 establishes four new grant programs to support Pennsylvania's local food system. It provides incentives for schools and institutions to purchase local food (Local Food Purchasing Incentive Grant), offers financial assistance to farmers for production improvements (Keystone Producer Grant), supports food distribution networks (Keystone Assistance Grant), and funds school meal programs sourcing from local farms (Keystone Fresh Farm to School Account). The Department of Agriculture and Department of Education would administer these programs and manage the grant allocations. The bill directly affects Pennsylvania farmers, schools, food distributors, and local food businesses by creating new funding mechanisms to strengthen regional food systems.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds via new grant programs (Local Food Purchasing, Keystone Producer, etc.) for agricultural support, increasing government spending on food system initiatives.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates Keystone Fresh Farm to School Account funding school meal programs sourcing local farms, directly supporting student nutrition and access within K-12 education system.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement

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passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Nov 19, 2025

SB 1020: An Act amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in hunting and furtaking licenses, further providing for resident license and fee exemptions.

SB 1020 modifies Pennsylvania's hunting and trapping license fee structure to expand resident license exemptions. It directly affects Pennsylvania residents who hunt or trap, particularly those who may qualify for reduced or waived fees under updated criteria. The bill changes specific provisions in Title 34 of the state statutes to clarify eligibility for these exemptions, making it easier for qualifying residents to obtain licenses without paying standard fees. The bill passed final passage on November 18, 2025, and was referred to the Game & Fisheries committee for further consideration.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands license fee exemptions, providing tax relief for qualifying residents per bill's fee structure changes.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 19, 2025

HB 972: An Act providing for an inventory of State-owned assets for the development of fixed broadband services in unserved areas; establishing the Broadband Services Restricted Account; and providing for underserved areas of this Commonwealth.

HB 972 requires Pennsylvania to catalog state and county-owned assets (like land and buildings) that could support high-speed internet service in areas without reliable access (defined as "unserved" or "underserved"). It establishes a dedicated fund, the Broadband Services Restricted Account, to be filled with lease payments from these assets and used to expand internet infrastructure in those areas. The bill also sets rules for leasing assets to qualified internet providers, directly affecting state agencies, local governments, and companies building broadband networks. This law focuses on making concrete policy changes to leverage public assets for broadband deployment without advocating for specific outcomes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates Broadband Services Restricted Account funded by lease payments from state assets to finance broadband infrastructure expansion, directly allocating public resources for essential service development.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates cataloging state assets to fund broadband expansion in unserved areas, directly advancing internet access infrastructure per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Apr 30, 2025

SB 563: An Act amending Titles 24 (Education) and 71 (State Government) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in membership, contributions and benefits, providing for supplemental annuity commencing 2025; and, in benefits, providing for supplemental annuity commencing 2025.

Senate Bill 563 proposes to provide a new supplemental annuity for eligible retirees of both the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System and the State Employees' Retirement System. Commencing July 1, 2025, individuals receiving a superannuation, withdrawal, or disability annuity who retired prior to July 2, 2001, will receive an additional monthly payment. The amount of this supplement will be a percentage of their July 1, 2025, monthly annuity, ranging from 10% to 20% based on their original retirement date. The Commonwealth will fund the additional liability for these benefits over a 10-year period, starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state spending by adding supplemental annuities to retirement benefits for eligible retirees, directly impacting government budget allocation for state employee pensions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Sep 29, 2025

HB 1890: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Pilot Grant Program.

This bill creates a temporary grant program to fund public schools in Pennsylvania that prepare meals from scratch (rather than using pre-packaged or processed foods) for students. It directly affects public schools participating in the pilot, allowing them to apply for state grants to cover costs associated with preparing fresh meals. The key provision establishes the program under the Public School Code, requiring the state education department to administer the grants and evaluate the pilot's effectiveness. The goal is to test whether scratch-cooked meals improve student nutrition and school meal participation, with results informing potential future policy changes. (Note: Specific grant amounts, duration, and participating school criteria are not detailed in the provided context.)

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state grant program funding scratch-cooked school meals, increasing public education spending through direct appropriations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates state grants for schools to fund scratch-cooked meals, enhancing student nutrition programs and school meal services under Public School Code.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Aug 4, 2025

HB 1765: An Act amending Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in employees, providing for insurance benefits for part-time police officers.

HB 1765 would require Pennsylvania municipalities to provide insurance benefits to part-time police officers. The bill amends state law to extend existing insurance coverage provisions - currently applicable to full-time municipal employees - to include part-time police officers specifically. This change would directly affect part-time police officers and the local governments that employ them, mandating that municipalities include these benefits in their employment terms. The bill is currently under review by the Local Government committee.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates municipalities to fund insurance benefits for part-time police, increasing public safety spending requirements.80% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends insurance benefits to part-time police officers, supporting law enforcement personnel welfare without direct reform impact.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends health insurance coverage to part-time police officers, expanding access to healthcare benefits for municipal employees under existing insurance provisions.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends mandatory insurance benefits to part-time police officers, expanding worker benefits under Labor & Employment policies95% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Insurance

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