Labor & Employment

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 21, 2025

SB 487: An Act providing for notification of wage theft and for protection for employees who report wage theft; imposing duties on the Department of Labor and Industry; establishing the Wage Theft Notification and Protection Restricted Account; and imposing penalties and other relief.

SB 487, the Wage Theft Notification and Protection Act, requires employers in Pennsylvania to provide employees with a plain-language summary of wage theft examples, reporting procedures, and anti-retaliation protections. Employers must post this summary visibly at workplaces or make it electronically accessible within 90 days of hiring or the law's effective date. The bill prohibits retaliation against employees who report wage theft and imposes $500 civil penalties for failing to provide the required notice or comply with posting rules. Funds from these penalties will support enforcement through a newly created Wage Theft Notification and Protection Restricted Account. The law directly affects employers across all sectors and strengthens protections for workers reporting unpaid wages under existing state labor laws.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires employer notification of wage theft rights, prohibits retaliation, imposes $500 penalties for non-compliance - directly protects workers' rights under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 26, 2025

HB 1056: An Act providing for criteria for independent contractors in the traveling sales industry and for the powers and duties of the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing penalties.

HB 1056 requires employers in Pennsylvania’s traveling sales industry (groups selling goods/services door-to-door or in public places) to classify workers as employees - not independent contractors - unless specific conditions are met. It mandates employer registration with the Department of Labor and Industry, prohibits misclassification for benefits like workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance, and imposes fines for violations. The bill directly affects businesses employing traveling sales crews, with penalties including administrative fines and potential stop-work orders for noncompliance. Key provisions include mandatory registration, proof of employee status, and prohibitions against retaliation for workers reporting violations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPrevents misclassification of traveling sales workers as contractors, ensuring access to workers' comp/unemployment benefits and imposing penalties for violations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards Unemployment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 24, 2025

HB 715: 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 penalties.

HB 715 amends Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act of 1968 to increase penalties for employers who pay workers below the required minimum wage. It reclassifies violations based on the number of offenses and the total unpaid wages: under $150 for a first offense is a summary offense, while over $150 for a first or second offense becomes a misdemeanor, and third or subsequent offenses are felonies. The bill also establishes that each week an employee is underpaid and each affected employee counts as a separate offense, making penalties more severe for repeated violations. Employers cannot avoid liability by having employees agree to work for less than the minimum wage.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill increases penalties for wage theft under PA's Minimum Wage Act, strengthening enforcement and protecting workers' rights to receive mandated wages.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 24, 2025

HB 718: An Act amending the act of July 14, 1961 (P.L.637, No.329), known as the Wage Payment and Collection Law, further providing for definitions; providing for duty of department to report and for investigations; further providing for civil remedies and penalties, for liquidated damages and for criminal penalties; providing for employer liability; and establishing the Wage Enforcement Fund.

HB 718 amends Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law to strengthen wage enforcement, directly affecting employers (including state/local governments, corporations, and contractors) and workers owed unpaid wages. It requires the Department of Labor to collect quarterly data on wage violations, fines, unpaid wages, and complaint resolution, then submit semiannual reports to lawmakers and post them publicly. The bill mandates quarterly investigations of "high-violation industries" (those with 25+ violations in two years) and updates penalties to $2,000 per violation or triple unpaid wages, whichever is greater, plus attorney fees. Employers failing to pay within 10 days of notice face these penalties, with each week of underpayment counted as a separate violation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentStrengthens wage enforcement via mandatory quarterly violation reports, high-violation industry investigations, and a Wage Enforcement Fund to protect workers owed unpaid wages.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 4, 2025

HB 805: An Act amending the the act of October 24, 2012 (P.L.1209, No.151), known as the Child Labor Act, further providing for administration and for penalties.

HB 805 amends Pennsylvania's Child Labor Act to strengthen oversight of child labor enforcement. It requires the Department of Labor and Industry to submit an annual report to the General Assembly by April 1, detailing complaints, violations (including by industry and county), and specific data on cases involving unaccompanied alien minors released by federal authorities. The bill also clarifies that knowingly employing minors without proper care is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $5,000 or up to two years in jail per violation. Additionally, it mandates cross-reporting to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for suspected immigration violations and to Human Services for child abuse concerns during investigations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentStrengthens child labor enforcement, requires annual reports on violations, and increases penalties for employing minors without care, protecting minor workers' rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Child Labor Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 25, 2025

HB 723: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, in tax credit and tax benefit administration, further providing for determination of eligibility and method of submission.

HB 723 amends Pennsylvania's Tax Reform Code to require state departments to check if applicants for tax credits or benefits have engaged in anti-union activities within the past decade. It directly affects businesses or individuals seeking tax benefits by blocking eligibility if they have: - Faced federal or state unfair labor practice complaints (e.g., under NLRB rules or Pennsylvania Labor Relations Act), - Settled union-related charges without formal complaints, or - Violated court orders or state labor board decisions. The bill adds specific screening steps to the tax credit application process, defining "anti-union activity" through clear legal references. It takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesRestricts tax credit eligibility for anti-union activities, limiting available tax benefits and reducing fiscal support for affected businesses.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBlocks tax benefits for anti-union activities, discouraging employer interference with collective bargaining and strengthening worker rights protections under labor laws.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Collective Bargaining

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 11, 2025

HB 863: An Act providing for legal protections from abusive work environments and for remedies.

HB 863, the Healthy Workplace Act, creates legal protections against abusive work environments for most Pennsylvania employees (excluding agricultural, domestic, and family employment), directly affecting employers and employees in covered workplaces. It defines "abusive conduct" as repeated verbal abuse, threats, sabotage, or conduct causing physical/psychological injury (not covered by workers' compensation), and prohibits such behavior that creates a hostile workplace. Employers face liability for abusive conduct by their employees but can defend by showing reasonable preventive measures were taken and the employee failed to use available remedies. The bill also prohibits retaliation against employees who report abuse or participate in investigations, with additional defenses for reasonable performance evaluations or workplace investigations.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentDefines abusive conduct, prohibits hostile workplaces, and imposes employer liability - directly protects workers' rights and improves workplace safety standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workplace Safety

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Feb 20, 2025

HB 619: An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, providing for employee voter leave.

HB 619 requires Pennsylvania employers to provide employees with up to two hours of paid time off to vote in elections, affecting all public and private sector workers in the state. The bill mandates that employees give employers at least two working days' notice before an election and prohibits employers from asking about voting preferences or party affiliation. Employers must post a uniform notice about this policy (available from the Secretary of the Commonwealth) at least 10 days before an election and face fines of $100-$500 for violations. The law aims to ensure voting access without penalty, with employees required to verify voting attendance to retain paid time off.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides paid voter leave, protecting workers' right to vote without pay loss or retaliation, directly advancing labor rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Feb 28, 2025

SB 361: An Act providing for duties of public employers relating to public employee information.

SB 361 requires public employers in Pennsylvania to provide employee representatives with specific public employee information, including names, contact details, job titles, and salary data. This applies to all public employees (excluding elected officials, management, and certain religious staff) and must be shared electronically every 120 days or within 21 days for new hires. Employee organizations may only use this information for representation purposes, such as collective bargaining, and cannot sell or share it otherwise. The bill aims to improve transparency in labor relations while giving employee groups access to necessary data for their roles.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires public employers to share employee data with representatives for collective bargaining, directly advancing workers' right to organize and negotiate.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Collective Bargaining Public Employees

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Apr 2, 2025

SB 113: An Act providing for guidelines and procedures governing certain investigations and interrogations of correctional and forensic employees; authorizing certain civil suits by correctional officers; and providing for impact of collective bargaining agreements and for summary suspensions.

SB 113 establishes new rules for investigating misconduct by Pennsylvania correctional and forensic employees (e.g., prison staff, forensic facility workers). It requires recorded interrogations, informs employees of their right to legal counsel, prohibits using polygraph tests or threatening job loss to compel statements, and mandates paid suspensions during investigations unless criminal charges are filed. The bill ensures union contracts cannot weaken these protections and prohibits retaliation against employees exercising these rights. It also clarifies that investigations must follow specific procedures to protect employee rights during disciplinary processes.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill establishes procedural safeguards for correctional staff during investigations, protecting rights and preventing retaliation, aligning with corrections reform.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill protects correctional employees' rights during investigations: requires recorded interrogations, right to counsel, paid suspensions, prohibits retaliation, and ensures union contracts cannot weaken protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Collective Bargaining

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