Technology

in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 9, 2026

SB 1138: An Act amending Title 20 (Decedents, Estates and Fiduciaries) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adopting Uniform Acts: in short title and definitions, further providing for definitions; in wills, further providing for validity of execution and for revocation of a will; providing for electronic wills; in dispositions independent of letters, family exemption, probate of wills and grant of letters, further providing for self-proved wills; providing for uniform electronic estate planning documents; and making conforming changes.

This bill modernizes Pennsylvania's estate laws to allow electronic wills. It defines "will" to include digital documents and creates new rules for creating, signing, and revoking wills online. Key provisions require witnesses to observe the testator via video call (virtual "presence") and follow specific digital execution steps, while still permitting traditional paper wills. The law directly affects Pennsylvanians creating estate plans, making it easier to use digital tools without losing legal validity.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly enables electronic wills and digital estate planning, modernizing laws to adopt technology for legal documents and processes.90% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 30, 2026

HB 2174: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in enforcement, providing for use of automated license plate reader information prohibited.

HB 2174 prohibits Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies from sharing automated license plate reader (ALPR) data with any federal, state, or local government agency if that data would be used to enforce laws interfering with access to medically accurate information or evidence-based medical services. Before sharing ALPR data, agencies must obtain a written declaration from the receiving agency confirming they will not use it in violation of this prohibition. The bill also requires ALPR information to be kept confidential and defines key terms like "medically accurate" (supported by peer-reviewed research or medical guidelines) and "evidence-based" (aligned with clinical standards and patient needs). This directly affects law enforcement agencies and government entities seeking to use ALPR data for medical-related enforcement actions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts law enforcement data sharing to protect medical access rights, aligning with civil rights protections in criminal justice reform.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits sharing ALPR data that could enforce laws restricting access to medically accurate care, protecting patient access to evidence-based services.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits sharing ALPR data to prevent misuse in enforcing laws affecting medical access, strengthening data privacy safeguards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 9, 2026

SB 1113: An Act amending Titles 35 (Health and Safety) and 40 (Insurance) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for artificial intelligence in facilities, for artificial intelligence use by insurers and for artificial intelligence use by MA or CHIP managed care plans; imposing duties on the Department of Health, the Insurance Department and the Department of Human Services; and imposing penalties.

SB 1113 requires health care facilities, insurers, and Medicaid Advantage/CHIP managed care plans in Pennsylvania to disclose when artificial intelligence (AI) is used for clinical decision making or patient communications. Facilities must provide clear disclosures in writing, on their public website, and include disclaimers for AI-generated communications with instructions to contact a human provider. The bill exempts routine administrative tasks (like scheduling or billing) and communications reviewed by a human from these disclosure rules. It imposes duties on the Departments of Health, Insurance, and Human Services to enforce compliance and sets penalties for violations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates AI disclosure in clinical decisions/communications to protect patient rights and transparency, aligning with healthcare protection indicators.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates AI disclosure in healthcare for transparency, aligning with data privacy protections and consumer safeguards in clinical decisions.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Children's Health Medicaid Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 18, 2025

HB 2108: An Act providing for duties of covered entities to protect the best interests of children that use online services, products or features and for data protection impact assessments; prohibiting certain actions by covered entities; and imposing penalties.

HB 2108 requires online platforms likely accessed by children (e.g., social media, games, educational apps) to conduct data protection impact assessments before launching features. It mandates that companies prioritize children's safety, privacy, and well-being over profits when designing products, prohibits deceptive "dark patterns" that trick kids into sharing data, and bans practices causing physical, psychological, or privacy harms. Covered entities - businesses processing children's personal data - face penalties for violations. The law directly affects digital services targeting minors, focusing on concrete policy changes like mandatory risk assessments and design safeguards.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill mandates data protection assessments and prohibits harmful practices for children's online safety, directly strengthening data privacy protections in technology.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Data Privacy Online Safety Social Media

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 19, 2026

HB 2175: An Act amending Title 12 (Commerce and Trade) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for consumer protection and for artificial intelligence and chatbots; imposing duties on the Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Office of Attorney General; and imposing penalties.

HB 2175 requires businesses using AI chatbots to clearly disclose when consumers are interacting with artificial intelligence, especially for mental health support (e.g., chatbots claiming to treat anxiety or depression). It prohibits deceptive advertising, mandates protection of personal data shared with these tools, and gives Pennsylvania’s Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection authority to enforce these rules and impose penalties. The law directly affects companies offering AI chatbots that provide health-related advice to Pennsylvania residents. It does not cover scripted tools (like guided meditation) or AI that simply connects users with human professionals.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires disclosure for AI mental health chatbots, prohibits deceptive claims, and protects consumer data - directly safeguards patient rights in mental health services.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates AI transparency, prohibits deceptive ads, and requires data protection for consumer-facing AI tools, aligning with privacy safeguards in technology regulation.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Artificial Intelligence Data Privacy

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passed · Pennsylvania · House Apr 29, 2026

HB 2177: An Act amending Titles 8 (Boroughs and Incorporated Towns), 11 (Cities) and 16 (Counties) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in ordinances, further providing for publication; in council, further providing for publication of proposed ordinance; and, in county commissioners and chief clerks, further providing for ordinances and resolutions.

HB 2177 updates publication requirements for proposed ordinances in Pennsylvania boroughs, cities, and counties. It mandates that when publishing a proposed ordinance, municipalities must include a detailed summary covering tax/fee changes, penalties, and fund-related provisions (like payments or restrictions), along with references to where the full text can be viewed online or at a physical location. This applies to all proposed ordinances before council votes, ensuring the public has clear access to key details. The bill does not change the content of ordinances but standardizes how they are communicated to residents.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates online access to ordinance details, expanding public internet access to government documents per publication requirements.85% confidence

Tags Local Government

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Dec 22, 2025

SR 204: A Resolution urging all agencies of the Commonwealth to have the ability to use diacritical marks on names on all Commonwealth-issued documents by July 1, 2027.

This resolution urges all Pennsylvania state agencies to update their systems to allow diacritical marks (like accents) in names on official documents by July 1, 2027. It directly affects residents whose names include such marks, who currently face issues with mismatched names on documents like driver's licenses. The key provision sets a specific deadline for agencies to modernize outdated technology, particularly noting PennDOT's legacy systems as a current barrier. It does not create new law but formally requests agencies prioritize this change to ensure names are spelled correctly on all Commonwealth-issued documents.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates system updates for diacritical marks, advancing tech infrastructure to improve inclusivity and fix legacy system barriers in document processing.85% confidence

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passed · Pennsylvania · House May 1, 2026

HB 2176: An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, in terms and courses of study, providing for social media literacy education.

HB 2176 would require Pennsylvania public and nonpublic schools to integrate social media literacy into their curriculum. The bill mandates that state academic standards include specific lessons on social media's mental, psychological, and physical impacts on students, its effects on learning, safe online behavior (including identifying cyberbullying and predatory activity), and personal device security. The Department of Education must develop educational materials and provide professional development for teachers on these topics. This bill directly affects all Pennsylvania schools, including public school districts, charter schools, and nonpublic schools, by adding concrete requirements to student learning standards.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates social media literacy curriculum integration, addressing mental health impacts and online safety per state standards, strengthening educational content on digital citizenship.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates social media literacy education on safe behavior, cyberbullying, and device security, enhancing cybersecurity awareness and digital rights education.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Safety Online Safety Social Media

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jan 12, 2026

SB 1130: An Act amending the act of November 29, 2006 (P.L.1435, No.156), known as the Public Utility Confidential Security Information Disclosure Protection Act, further providing for prohibition.

SB 1130 amends Pennsylvania's Public Utility Confidential Security Information Disclosure Protection Act to clarify when public utilities' security information can be shared for construction or renovation projects involving public buildings. It adds an exception allowing agencies to disclose such information (after notifying the utility) for these specific construction purposes, without triggering the act's disclosure prohibition or making the information subject to public disclosure under the Right-to-Know Law. The bill directly affects public utilities, government agencies, and construction entities working on public projects. This change ensures security details remain protected while enabling necessary project work without unintended public release.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyAmends security information disclosure rules to allow necessary utility security sharing for construction projects without public disclosure, maintaining cybersecurity protections while enabling essential infrastructure work.85% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Dec 12, 2025

HB 2100: An Act providing for the use of mental health chatbots and artificial intelligence by mental health therapists; imposing duties on the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs; and imposing a penalty.

HB 2100 prohibits mental health chatbot suppliers from selling or sharing Pennsylvania users' personal health data or chat inputs with third parties. It directly affects companies providing AI therapy tools that simulate confidential conversations with users in Pennsylvania. The law requires suppliers to protect user data, with limited exceptions for user consent or sharing with health providers. This creates new data privacy rules for AI mental health tools used by therapists in the state.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProtects patient data privacy for AI mental health tools, strengthening confidentiality in therapy services per bill's data protection requirements.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill imposes strict data privacy requirements on AI mental health chatbots, prohibiting third-party data sharing without consent, thus protecting user data privacy in technology use.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Artificial Intelligence Data Privacy

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