SB 162 is an appropriations bill that allocates funds from the Workmen's Compensation Administration Fund for the fiscal year July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. It provides $87,302,000 to the Department of Labor and Industry to cover expenses for administering the Workers' Compensation Act and The Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act. Additionally, the bill appropriates $550,000 to the Office of Small Business Advocate within the Department of Community and Economic Development for its operations. These funds also cover any unpaid bills incurred at the close of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025.
SB 64 creates an official logotype for veteran-owned businesses in Pennsylvania (defined as businesses where veterans own at least 51% of the interest). Businesses can apply to use the logotype through a department process, with a $250 fee and optional contributions to the Military Family Relief Assistance Fund. The fund, established under existing law, will use these fees and contributions to support military families. The bill also imposes penalties for falsely claiming veteran status to use the logotype. It directly affects veteran-owned businesses and funds military family relief programs.
HB 217 amends Pennsylvania's tax code to require businesses to deduct start-up costs (like initial expenses for new ventures) entirely in the year incurred, rather than spreading deductions over multiple years as permitted under federal rules. This change affects new businesses and entrepreneurs with start-up expenses by altering how they calculate state personal income tax. The bill also allows business net losses to offset other income in the same tax year. These provisions apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.
SB 390 creates a new grant program to provide operating assistance for public transportation in Pennsylvania counties experiencing population or employment growth. It directly affects county transit entities that currently receive state transportation grants under Sections 1513 or 1516. The bill allocates funds equally between counties with rising employment (using state labor data) and counties with rising population (using U.S. Census data), distributing grants based on each county's growth percentage over five years. Eligible entities can apply annually for proportional shares of available funds, with grants subject to the same rules as existing programs. The program requires no local match exceeding current standards under Section 1513.
Senate Bill 646 establishes the Survivor-Centered, Accessible, Fair and Empowering Housing Trust Fund within the State Treasury. This fund aims to provide emergency, transitional, and permanent housing programs, along with support services, for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, human trafficking, stalking, and their immediate family members. Funding for the trust fund will come from an initial transfer of $1,000,000, a new $10 fee on deed and mortgage filings, and optional $5 contributions during online driver's license or vehicle registration renewals. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will administer the fund to support housing stability for this target population.
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.
HB 503 establishes the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction (PACER) Program, creating a state-run "cap-and-invest" system to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector. The program requires the Department of Environmental Protection to conduct Pennsylvania-run auctions for CO2 allowances, with specific rules for eligible participants, such as electricity generators and financial institutions. Revenue from these auctions will be directed into several designated accounts, including those for consumer protection, energy transformation, workforce enhancement, and low-income support. Upon the program's establishment, Pennsylvania would cease participation in other carbon auction programs related to the electric generation sector.
HB 674 establishes a new grant program to provide operating assistance for public transportation in Pennsylvania counties experiencing growth in either population or employment. Eligible applicants include public transit entities already receiving certain existing transportation grants (under Sections 1513 or 1516) that serve counties meeting specific growth criteria based on five-year data. Funding is split equally between counties growing in employment (using Labor Department data) and population (using Census Bureau data), with each county’s grant amount determined by its percentage growth over that period. This program operates in addition to existing transportation funding and cannot require a higher local match than current rules.
HB 1664 establishes a state grant program and a dedicated fund to provide financial assistance for renovating or redeveloping older buildings. The Older Building Redevelopment Assistance Grant Program would offer grants to property owners and developers to update aging commercial or residential structures, with funding sourced from the newly created Older Building Redevelopment Fund. This bill directly affects owners of older buildings seeking to redevelop properties that may lack modern infrastructure. The program aims to support local revitalization efforts through state-funded grants, though the bill remains pending after being laid on the table.
SB 315 amends Pennsylvania's 1949 education code to update school funding, safety, and instructional requirements. It establishes new school safety grants, updates teacher certification standards, and strengthens truancy prevention measures for all public and charter schools. The bill adds funding for career and technical education equipment, expands mental health support through school safety programs, and modifies higher education scholarship rules. As Act No. 47 of 2025, it became law on November 12, 2025, affecting students, teachers, school districts, and higher education institutions statewide.
