Budget & Taxes

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 3, 2025

SB 783: An Act establishing tourism improvement districts and tourism improvement district management associations; and providing for powers of counties, for powers of tourism improvement district management associations, for dissolution of tourism improvement district and for annual audit.

SB 783 establishes "tourism improvement districts" (TIDs) in Pennsylvania counties, where participating hotels and tourism businesses pay special fees to fund local tourism activities. The bill creates "tourism improvement district management associations" (TIDMAs) to manage funds for marketing, events, destination improvements, and promotional programs that directly benefit these businesses. Counties must hold public hearings, collect fees (capped at 4% administrative cost), and ensure TID funding supplements existing tourism programs without reducing current county tourism spending. Businesses within a proposed TID can collectively object if 40% of total room inventory opposes the district, preventing its formation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill establishes new tourism fees (capped at 4%) for TIDMAs to fund marketing/events, directly creating a targeted fiscal mechanism for tourism development.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 3, 2025

HB 455: An Act providing for grants to organizations that host or offer education, workforce training or skills development to young adults; establishing the Building a Better Future Grant Program; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; and making an appropriation.

HB 455 establishes Pennsylvania's "Building a Better Future Grant Program" to fund organizations providing education and workforce training to young adults aged 16-24 who are disconnected from education. The program targets organizations serving youth from low-income backgrounds with specific vulnerabilities (e.g., foster care, disability, homelessness, or school dropout) and requires grantees to offer at least two services like job training, career counseling, or high school equivalency support. The Department of Labor and Industry will administer $5 million in state funding (from the General Fund) to award grants of up to $1 million per organization, with 5% reserved for statewide technical assistance. This directly affects eligible young adults and qualifying local organizations focused on construction, healthcare, and other in-demand vocational fields.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates new state appropriation for youth workforce training grants, explicitly increasing public funding for essential services targeting vulnerable populations.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates grant program funding education/workforce training for underserved youth (16-24), expanding access and support for disconnected students.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes grants for youth workforce training and education, directly advancing employment opportunities for vulnerable populations through skills development programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget K-12 Education Apprenticeships Child Labor Workforce Development

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 25, 2025

HB 1053: An Act amending the act of September 30, 1983 (P.L.160, No.39), known as the Public Official Compensation Law, providing for limitations on certain additional expenses of the General Assembly.

HB 1053 prohibits per diem payments to Pennsylvania state legislators for days served, requiring reimbursement only for documented actual expenses instead. It directly affects all members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly by changing how they receive compensation for travel or lodging. The bill does not impact legislators' base salaries, benefits, or other existing forms of compensation. This change applies specifically to daily service expenses and takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRestricts legislative per diem expenses, reducing state budget outlays for travel/lodging while maintaining base salaries.92% confidence

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 1304: An Act amending Titles 24 (Education) and 71 (State Government) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in administration and miscellaneous provisions, further providing for stress test of system; and, in administration, funds, accounts and general provisions, further providing for stress test of system.

HB 1304 requires Pennsylvania to conduct annual stress tests on state pension systems for both education and state government sectors. The bill mandates that relevant boards submit test results - including scenario and sensitivity analyses - to the Governor, General Assembly, and Independent Fiscal Office by April 1 (education) or October 1 (state government). The Independent Fiscal Office must then produce a summary report by June 1 (education) or December 1 (state government), including a calculation of projected pension contributions relative to state revenues. This directly affects state pension systems, covering public employees and retirees, by establishing regular, transparent assessments of pension fund financial health.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates annual pension stress tests for fiscal oversight, promoting transparency and accountability in state budget management per fiscal responsibility indicators.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions

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passed both · Pennsylvania · House Sep 9, 2025

HB 257: An Act amending Titles 4 (Amusements), 74 (Transportation) and 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in interactive gaming, further providing for interactive gaming tax; in sustainable mobility options, further providing for definitions, for fund and for operating program and providing for annual performance evaluation and for operating a controlled substance injection site near infrastructure of a local transportation organization; in metropolitan transportation authorities, further providing for special prosecutor for mass transit; in public-private transportation partnerships, providing for metropolitan transportation authority projects; in licensing of drivers, further providing for persons ineligible for licensing, license issuance to minors and junior driver's license, for learners' permits, for application for driver's license or learner's permit by minor and for examination of applicant for driver's license; in miscellaneous provisions relating to operation of vehicles, providing for the offense of interference with operation or movement of a public transit vehicle and for sentencing enhancement for drug delivery on transit; in lighting equipment, further providing for use and display of illuminated signs; in taxes for highway maintenance and construction, providing for supplemental funding for three and four digit highway construction; and establishing the Supplemental Funding for Three and Four Digit State Routes Account in the Motor License Fund.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates Supplemental Funding Account for highway maintenance and adjusts interactive gaming tax, generating revenue for transportation infrastructure.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationEstablishes highway funding account, sustainable mobility program, and enhances transit safety via penalties for drug delivery on transit.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing Public Transit Roads & Highways

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 408: 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.

This bill adds a new supplemental monthly annuity to certain Pennsylvania state retirees' benefits, effective July 2025. It applies to retirees receiving superannuation, withdrawal, or disability annuities who retired before July 2, 2001, and do not have specific service credits (like Class D-4 or Class AA). The additional payment amount is a percentage of their July 2025 monthly annuity, ranging from 10% to 20% based on their retirement date. The cost will be funded through equal annual installments over 10 years starting July 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAdds supplemental annuity for retirees, funded via state budget increases, advancing public spending on retiree benefits per bill's funding mechanism.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 8, 2026

SB 576: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, in mutual thrift institutions tax, further providing for imposition, report and payment of tax and exemptions.

SB 576 amends Pennsylvania's tax code for mutual thrift institutions, such as credit unions, by adjusting their annual tax rates on taxable net income. Starting in 2025, the tax rate will gradually decrease from 7.95% to 4.99% over seven years, with specific rates set for each year through 2031. The bill also revises the net loss carryover rule, allowing institutions to deduct losses from the previous ten years (instead of three) when calculating current tax, but the deduction cannot exceed the current year's net income. Mutual thrift institutions must report and pay taxes annually by April 15 under these updated rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill reduces tax rates for mutual thrift institutions from 7.95% to 4.99%, providing direct tax relief as a fiscal policy measure.90% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Nov 18, 2025

HB 2046: An Act amending Title 4 (Amusements) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in revenues, further providing for establishment of State Gaming Fund and net slot machine revenue distribution; providing for skill video gaming; imposing duties on the Department of Revenue; and imposing a tax and criminal and civil penalties.

HB 2046 updates Pennsylvania's gaming laws to establish a new framework for skill-based video gaming, which would directly affect gaming operators and players. The bill modifies how slot machine revenue is distributed to the State Gaming Fund, requiring the Department of Revenue to manage these funds and implement new tax collection for skill video gaming. It also introduces criminal and civil penalties for violations related to these gaming activities. The law aims to create a regulated system for skill video gaming while adjusting revenue streams for the state's existing gaming programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes new tax on skill video gaming, directs revenue to State Gaming Fund, increasing state tax revenue and fiscal management.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 747: An Act amending Title 64 (Public Authorities and Quasi-Public Corporations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Commonwealth Financing Authority, further providing for indebtedness.

HB 747 increases the debt limit for Pennsylvania's Business in Our Sites Program from $300 million to $375 million under the Commonwealth Financing Authority. This change directly affects the program, which supports business development on underutilized sites across the state. The bill amends Section 1543(b)(1) of Title 64 to allow the authority to incur higher aggregate indebtedness for this specific program. The amendment takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases debt limit for business development program, expanding state funding capacity under budget authority.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jun 24, 2025

HB 1653: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in children and youth, providing for child-care center assistance grants.

HB 1653 creates competitive grants to help nonprofit early childhood organizations and public school districts establish or expand child-care centers in rural Pennsylvania counties with low population density (under 291 people per square mile). The grants fund facility costs like construction or renovation, and provide two years of salary supplements to ensure child-care staff earn comparable pay to public school teachers. Recipients must partner with local businesses to cover some child-care fees for employees, aiming to maintain staffing levels after the grant period ends. This bill directly supports rural communities facing childcare shortages by making it financially feasible to open or grow quality early childhood programs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state grants for child-care center construction/salary supplements, increasing public service funding for rural child-care programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides competitive grants for child-care centers partnering with schools, funds facilities, and offers salary supplements to align staff pay with public school teachers.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides salary supplements to ensure child-care staff earn comparable pay to public school teachers, directly increasing wages for workers in the child-care sector.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood

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