Immigration in Pennsylvania

in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 6, 2025

HB 1408: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in administrative organization, providing for language of materials and services.

HB 1408 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to require all Commonwealth government materials and services - such as printed documents, websites, and public services - to be exclusively in English. This applies to state agencies and local political subdivisions, mandating English as the sole language unless federal law specifically requires otherwise. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment, establishing a clear policy that eliminates the use of non-English materials in official government communications.

Topics ✗ Immigration

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 1225: An Act amending the act of June 22, 1970 (P.L.378, No.122), known as the Nursing Home Administrators License Act, further providing for State Board of Examiners of Nursing Home Administrators, for qualifications for admission to examination and for temporary permits.

HB 1225 amends Pennsylvania's Nursing Home Administrators License Act to clarify specific requirements for licensure and temporary permits. It explicitly states that candidates must be U.S. citizens (or have declared intent to become citizens) and meet age, moral character, and education standards under Section 6(a). The bill also clarifies that temporary permits for nursing home administrators require proof of citizenship, age, and good moral character, as outlined in Section 14(a). These changes affect individuals seeking nursing home administrator licensure or temporary permits in Pennsylvania.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Citizenship & Naturalization

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HB 621: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in forgery and fraudulent practices, providing for the offense of benefit transfer device fraud.

HB 621 creates a new criminal offense for unauthorized aliens who possess, use, or attempt to use Pennsylvania's benefit transfer devices, such as the ACCESS card or electronic benefit transfer card. The law defines "unauthorized alien" as someone not eligible for state benefits under federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1621(a)) and classifies each violation as a separate third-degree felony. This directly affects non-citizens who are ineligible for state benefits but attempt to access programs like food assistance through these devices. The bill amends Pennsylvania’s criminal code to specifically address fraud involving benefit cards, without changing eligibility rules for benefits themselves.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 31, 2025

HB 403: An Act amending Title 29 (Federal Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for immigration preemption and cooperation; and establishing the Immigration Cooperation Fund.

HB 403 preempts Pennsylvania municipalities from adopting policies that block law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. It prohibits local governments from restricting officers from complying with federal immigration requests, assisting ICE, allowing ICE access to county jails, inquiring about immigration status of people in custody, or sharing release information. The bill establishes an "Immigration Cooperation Fund" to support this cooperation, though specific funding mechanisms are not detailed in the provided text. This directly affects all Pennsylvania cities, towns, counties, and their law enforcement officers, judicial staff, and correctional personnel.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 13, 2025

HB 896: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in sentencing, further providing for sentencing procedure for murder of the first degree.

HB 896 requires Pennsylvania courts to impose the death penalty on defendants convicted of first-degree murder who are documented as undocumented migrants under U.S. immigration law (defined as violating 8 U.S.C. Ch. 12). The bill amends sentencing procedures to mandate this specific penalty after the court records the defendant's undocumented status, replacing standard sentencing considerations. It directly affects individuals facing first-degree murder charges who lack legal immigration status in the U.S.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing Enforcement

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 19, 2025

HB 975: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in human trafficking, further providing for definitions and providing for the offense of trafficking in undocumented immigrants.

HB 975 creates a new state crime in Pennsylvania for trafficking undocumented immigrants. It makes it a third-degree felony to encourage or induce an undocumented immigrant to enter or remain in the state by concealing, harboring, or shielding them from law enforcement or federal immigration authorities, which violates federal law. The offense becomes a second-degree felony if it creates a substantial risk of serious harm, death, involves a minor, or involves knowledge of forced labor or sex work. This law directly affects individuals who facilitate undocumented immigrants' presence in Pennsylvania through concealment, clarifying that such actions are punishable under state law.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HB 610: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in public works employment verification, further providing for definitions, for duty of public works contractors and subcontractors, for verification form, for violations, for enforcement and sanctions, for Public Works Employment Verification Account, for protection from retaliation, for good faith immunity and for public works contractor and subcontractor liability; and making an editorial change.

HB 610 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to require public works contractors and subcontractors to verify new employees' work eligibility using the federal E-Verify program (EVP). It mandates that contractors provide a verification form to public bodies before awarding or executing contracts, confirming their enrollment in EVP and compliance with the law. Contractors without employees may submit an affidavit instead of EVP enrollment but must enroll and provide verification upon hiring. The bill also prohibits discrimination during verification and includes protections for contractors acting in good faith. These changes directly affect all entities working on public construction projects funded by the Commonwealth or its political subdivisions.

Topics ✗ Immigration ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Work Authorization

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 756: An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to criminal proceedings, providing for citizenship status of criminal defendants.

HB 756 requires Pennsylvania prosecutors to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if they learn during a criminal case that a defendant is not a U.S. citizen or is present in the U.S. illegally under federal immigration law (8 U.S.C. Ch. 12). This affects criminal defendants with non-citizen status or potential immigration violations. The bill mandates that Commonwealth attorneys provide this notification "at any point during the course of a criminal proceeding" when they reasonably obtain such information.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Citizenship & Naturalization Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 927: A Joint Resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, prohibiting issuance of driver's licenses to individuals not lawfully present in the United States.

HB 927 proposes a constitutional amendment to Pennsylvania that would prohibit the state from issuing driver's licenses or similar vehicle operation permits to individuals without lawful presence in the United States. This would directly affect non-citizens residing in Pennsylvania without legal immigration status, preventing them from obtaining or renewing driver's licenses under this policy. The amendment requires approval by the Pennsylvania General Assembly and subsequent voter approval at the next applicable election, as outlined in Section 2 of the resolution. If adopted, it would change the state constitution to mandate legal immigration status as a prerequisite for license issuance.

Topics ✗ Immigration ✗ Transportation

Sub-Topics Driver Licenses & IDs Driver Licensing

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HB 647: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, in county boards of elections, further providing for powers and duties of county boards.

HB 647 amends Pennsylvania's Election Code to require county election boards to enter agreements with the judicial system. Specifically, it directs boards to receive records about county residents claiming juror ineligibility due to citizenship status and investigate the voter registration of those individuals. This provision directly affects county election boards by adding a new administrative duty to verify voter eligibility through jury qualification records. The bill does not change voting rights or election procedures, but creates a formal process for cross-checking voter registration with jury eligibility claims. The change takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✗ Immigration

Sub-Topics Citizenship & Naturalization

All immigration bills