Labor & Employment

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jul 9, 2026

HB 2558: An Act prohibiting enforcement of covenants not to compete in broadcast employment agreements.

This bill, titled the Broadcast Freemarket Agreement Act, prohibits employers in the radio, television, and digital media industries from enforcing non-compete clauses in employment contracts. It declares such agreements void if they stop workers from moving to other companies or performing services within a specific geographic area after leaving their current job. The law also ensures that employees cannot be forced to sign away these protections, while still allowing employers to maintain confidentiality agreements regarding trade secrets.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill prohibits non-compete clauses, protecting worker mobility and rights in media industries.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 11, 2026

HB 2446: An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Commonwealth services, establishing the Fire Company Transformational Grant Program.

This bill establishes the Fire Company Transformational Grant Program in Pennsylvania to provide financial support to municipal, volunteer, and combination fire companies. The program will be funded with up to $30 million annually from the Property Tax Relief Reserve Fund and allows grants ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, with a higher limit for consolidated agencies. Eligible fire companies can use the funds to purchase equipment, build or renovate facilities, recruit and retain staff, and support regionalization efforts. To qualify, applicants must meet specific administrative requirements, such as maintaining current contact information and being registered with a public safety answering point. The administering office will set detailed guidelines for the application process, evaluate requests based on established criteria, and require annual reports on how the grants are used.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $30M annually from a reserve fund to establish a grant program for fire companies, directly increasing funding for essential public safety services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds recruitment and retention of fire company staff, directly supporting workforce stability and employment standards.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House May 7, 2026

HB 2103: An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for the title of the act, for findings and declaration of policy, for right to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation, for definitions, for unlawful discriminatory practices and for prohibition of certain real estate practices; providing for protection of religious exercise; and further providing for powers and duties of the commission and for construction and exclusiveness of remedy.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to clarify that religious or fraternal organizations cannot restrict membership based on race, color, national origin, or ancestry to deny equal access to housing, employment, or public accommodations. It specifically updates Section 5(h)(10) to explicitly prohibit such discrimination under the guise of religious or fraternal affiliation. The change directly affects religious institutions, fraternal organizations, and housing providers operating under existing exemptions. The amendment takes effect 60 days after passage.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents housing discrimination by religious/fraternal organizations under PA Human Relations Act, aligning with tenant protection and equal access to housing.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAmends PA Human Relations Act to prohibit religious/fraternal orgs from discriminating in employment based on race/color/national origin, directly protecting workers' rights under employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Nov 24, 2025

HB 1995: An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, in compensation, further providing for rate and amount of compensation.

HB 1995 amends Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation law to adjust benefit calculations based on a trigger percentage tied to state unemployment conditions. If the trigger percentage remains below 250% as of July 1, 2027, then for 2028 and later, the highest quarterly wages used to calculate benefits will be determined by averaging the highest quarter wage and 130% of the second highest quarter wage (capped at the highest amount). If the trigger reaches or exceeds 250% on July 1, 2028, the standard calculation method reverts to the prior formula. This change directly affects unemployed workers in Pennsylvania who receive unemployment benefits under the state's program.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill adjusts unemployment benefit calculations to potentially lower base wages when unemployment is low (trigger <250%), reducing worker benefits under normal economic conditions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 1549: An Act amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage Act of 1968, further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for exemptions.

HB 1549 updates Pennsylvania's minimum wage law by establishing new hourly rates for workers in different county classifications, effective starting in 2026. It sets a $15 per hour minimum wage for workers in first-class counties (like Philadelphia) beginning January 1, 2026, with annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to the CPI-U index for the PA/NJ/DE/MD region. For other counties (second, third, fourth, or sixth class based on 2020 census populations), it sets a $12 hourly rate starting in 2026, increasing to $15 by 2028, followed by the same CPI-based annual adjustments. This directly affects all hourly workers in Pennsylvania, with rates varying by county size and population.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill increases minimum wage rates ($15/hr in first-class counties, $12 elsewhere) with annual CPI-U adjustments, directly strengthening wage protections for workers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 276: An Act providing for interagency cooperation regarding employee misclassification; and establishing the Employee Misclassification Working Group.

HB 276 creates a permanent Employee Misclassification Working Group to coordinate state agencies addressing worker classification issues. The bill requires departments like Labor and Revenue to collaborate on identifying and resolving cases where employers wrongly classify workers as independent contractors. This working group will develop strategies to protect workers' access to benefits like unemployment insurance and workers' compensation. The law directly affects state agencies managing labor enforcement and workers' rights, aiming to improve interagency efficiency in tackling misclassification.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates working group to resolve misclassification, protecting workers' access to unemployment insurance and workers' comp benefits by requiring agency collaboration.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House May 22, 2025

HB 721: An Act amending the act of October 13, 2010 (P.L.506, No.72), known as the Construction Workplace Misclassification Act, further providing for definitions, for improper classification of employees and for criminal penalties; providing for private right of action; further providing for administrative penalties, for retaliation for action prohibited, for availability of information, for use of penalty funds and for funding; and imposing penalties.

HB 721 amends Pennsylvania's Construction Workplace Misclassification Act to strengthen protections for construction workers who are incorrectly classified as independent contractors instead of employees. The bill allows affected workers to file lawsuits against companies for misclassification and imposes criminal penalties for repeated violations, while also adding safeguards against employer retaliation for reporting violations. It expands administrative penalties for misclassification and requires that penalty funds be used to support enforcement efforts. This directly affects construction companies that misclassify workers and construction workers who lose benefits like overtime pay, health insurance, or workers' compensation due to improper classification.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill strengthens worker protections by enabling lawsuits against misclassification, imposing criminal penalties for violations, and adding retaliation safeguards, directly advancing labor rights under employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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passed · Pennsylvania · House May 16, 2025

HB 630: An Act amending the act of December 17, 1959 (P.L.1913, No.694), known as the Equal Pay Law, further providing for definitions and for wage rates; providing for additional violations; further providing for powers of secretary, for collection of unpaid wages, for records and reporting and for penalties; and establishing the Equal Pay Enforcement Fund.

HB 630 amends Pennsylvania's Equal Pay Law to strengthen protections against wage discrimination based on sex, race, or ethnicity. It adds definitions for "comparable work" (requiring similar skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions) and clarifies that "wages" include all compensation like fringe benefits. The bill explicitly bans employers from requiring employees to refrain from discussing wages, using salary history to set pay, or asking about prior wages during hiring. It also establishes an Equal Pay Enforcement Fund to support enforcement efforts and clarifies that job titles alone cannot determine if jobs are comparable.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentStrengthens equal pay protections by banning wage discrimination based on sex/race, prohibiting salary history inquiries, and allowing wage discussions - directly advances workers' rights.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

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