Legislative update

Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) said in a co-sponsor memo she plans to introduce legislation that would prohibit social media platforms from “unfairly’’ censoring users and journalism organizations and restrict the state’s ability to censor user comments.

Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery) said in a co-sponsor memo that she will introduce a bill, the School District Financial Transparency Act, which would require local school districts to provide residents with per-pupil spending, total reserve funds and other financial information. In another memo, Mackenzie indicated plans to file legislation that would require the state Department of Education to post the endowments of state higher education institutions online each year

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, a former state House representative, discussed her city’s $6.37 billion budget and public safety concerns in remarks to the Pennsylvania Press Club at its monthly luncheon held Monday at the Hilton Harrisburg. “There is steady progress in our efforts to combat gun violence and we are finally, finally addressing and taking seriously quality-of-life issues in the City of Philadelphia,” Parker said, as reported in City & State Pennsylvania. “I’m happy to hear that data reflects that we have a 38% reduction in homicides and a 40% reduction in shootings. It is encouraging, but I will dare say to you, it’s not time to have a party. It’s not time to relax.” Read more at City & State.

“Every party is going to have to compromise.”

_{– Gov. Josh Shapiro, who described ongoing state budget negotiations this week as “very productive’’ and “very honest’’ in reporting from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.}

Rep. Joe McAndrew (D-Allegheny) has filed HB 2141, a bill dealing with online foreclosure sales that would limit out-of-state speculators from participating in the sale process. The legislation would limit the amount and types of fees charged against debtors by online private selling officers and require a PSO to be licensed by the state as both a real estate agent, broker or brokerage and an auctioneer or auction house. The bill would not change the foreclosure process until the time of proceeding with a sale. HB 2141 would require publication in newspapers for initial sales.  

Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton) said in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to file tuition increase transparency legislation. The bill would require institutions of higher education to notify enrolled students at least 45 days in advance of increases in tuition – both the dollar amount and the percentage of a cost hike – from the previous academic year. 

“While conversations are ongoing and conversations are quite cordial, I am concerned that the productivity of those conversations is not quite to the level that they need to be to effectuate a budget on time on June 30. I think there is still an opportunity for us to achieve a June 30 deadline or close to that, but I would say that the pace of conversation and the pace of movement really needs to pick up in short order if that’s going to be the case.”

_{– Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-Indiana) in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Tuesday.}

Senate Bill 37 was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Josh Shapiro as Act No. 18 of 2024. The legislation sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne) prohibits the use of handheld cellphones or other communication devices while driving. The legislation includes a provision that makes data collected for self-initiated traffic stops nonpublic under the Right-to-Know Law, thereby restricting access to information that was previously public. PNA strongly opposed the latter change.

Rep. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) filed SB 1214, legislation that would establish a state Office of Information Technology and a chief information officer as a Cabinet-level position. One CIO duty would be to “establish and implement information technology protocols for security of data produced, collected, or maintained by agencies under the jurisdiction of the Governor.”

Senate Communications and Technology Committee Chair Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) has filed SB 1217, which would make it an offense to disseminate artificial intelligence-generated campaign ads. The legislation includes media exemptions. Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia) is sponsoring identical legislation, HB 2353, in the House.

Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) said in a co-sponsor memo he will file legislation that would update the Higher Education Gift Disclosure Act. This is a critical step toward increasing transparency and accountability in the financial relationships between Pennsylvania’s colleges and universities and foreign entities. Among the anticipated provisions would be lowering the disclosure threshold for foreign gifts from $100,000 to $50,000

Democrat Rep. Jared Solomon, of Philadelphia County, and Republican Reps. Jim Gregory and Thomas Mehaffie of Blair/Huntingdon and Dauphin counties, respectively, said in a co-sponsor memo they plan to introduce legislation to establish an independent redistricting commission that would give Pennsylvanians a voice in how congressional district lines are drawn

“(D)emocracy cannot function effectively in the absence of a free press that provides objective information to the citizenry about crucial events in government and in our communities.”

_{– Maryland Gov. Wes Moore in vetoing a bill last month that would have required county Registers of Wills offices to publish estate notices on government websites instead of in local newspapers. Moore noted a “vital public interest in ensuring the existence of thriving independent local media.”}

Pennsylvania Education Secretary Khalid Mumin spoke at the Pennsylvania Press Club’s monthly luncheon on Monday. Mumin spoke about education proposals in Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget, and also addressed the controversial school voucher program, which was a focus of budget negotiations last summer, saying the idea was not entirely dead. For more on Mumin’s remarks, read PennLive’s coverage.

SB 525, introduced by Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Mckean), was voted favorably out of the Senate State Government committee on Tuesday. The bill would permit agencies to petition the Office of Open Records for relief from requests from what the agencies allege are “vexatious requesters,” a term that is not explicitly defined in the bill. The legislation requires that the petition to label an individual a “vexatious requester” include alleged conduct that might “demonstrate vexatiousness,” which could consist of: the number of requests filed; the total number of pending requests; the scope of the requests; the nature, content, language or subject matter of the requests; the nature, content, language or subject matter of other oral or written communications to the agency; conduct which allegedly places an unreasonable burden on the agency; and conduct that allegedly harasses the agency. The bill was up for first consideration on Tuesday and has not moved further at this time. PNA is working with legislators and staffers to protect our members’ interests with regard to this legislation.

Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) filed SB 1183 on Wednesday. The bill seeks to amend the Right-to-Know Law to add the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to the definition of “state-affiliated entity.” This addition would mean that PSBA would be subject to the RTKL and thus could receive records requests from the media and the public, subject to the law’s parameters. In her related co-sponsor memorandum, Sen. Phillips-Hill states PSBA renders assistance to school boards and “[t]he information the association possesses and shares with school boards helps to frame curriculums, budgets, and policies and should be transparently available to the public. They deserve to know where and how their tax dollars are spent.” The senator also points to the fact the PSBA is a member of PSERS, and the recent PA Supreme Court decision that found the PIAA to be subject to the RTKL.

The House Education Committee held an informational meeting on imagination libraries and student journalism protections on Monday. HB 1309, introduced by Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester), was discussed at great length during the meeting. This bill would protect student journalists’ constitutional right to speak as well as their audience’s right to receive information without undue government interference. Testifiers at the meeting included: Ben Shapiro, student journalist and editor-in-chief of The Spoke, Conestoga High School’s student newspaper; Cyndi Hyatt, PA state director of the Journalism Education Association; and Aaron Fitzpatrick, president, Pennsylvania School Press Association. PNA is supportive of this legislation. To watch the informational meeting in its entirety, visit the House Education Committee’s website.

Republican Jeff Olsommer has won the special election held on Tuesday for the 139th district of Pennsylvania, which covers portions of Wayne and Pike counties. Olsommer defeated Democrat Robin Skibber in the special election to determine who will finish out former Rep. Joe Adams (R)’s term. Adams resigned in February for medical reasons. This means that Democrats will not increase their razor-thin majority of 102-101 in the House. Olsommer also defeated Republican Matthew Contreras in the GOP primary election Tuesday, so he will go on to face Skibber again in the November general election for the 2025-26 legislative session. Read more regarding the 139th district here and regarding the primary election in general from PennLive.

Rep. Kevin Boyle (D-Philadelphia) caused a maelstrom in the House last week when he was absent and seeking to vote by designation on the House floor while there was an active warrant for his arrest. The warrant has since been canceled, but Republicans are still calling for a change, via a House resolution that is not yet filed but will be HR 401 – introduced by Rep. Charity Krupa (R-Fayette), to the House rules so that a legislator in Boyle’s situation cannot vote by designation. Despite the warrant’s cancelation, it is possible that the situation will still lead to Boyle’s resignation, which would result in a special election, likely at the height of summer, with the Democratic majority in the House at stake again. Boyle was defeated in this week’s Democratic primary, which determines the candidates for the upcoming 2025-26 legislative session, by challenger Sean Dougherty, so it is certain that Boyle will not hold onto his seat in the long term. Read more on yesterday’s results from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

SB 1177, introduced by Senator Cris Dush (R-Cameron, Centre, Clinton, Elk, Jefferson, Mckean, and Potter), would amend the Unemployment Compensation Law to require online posting of the annual report on the financial operations of the program. It would also require that the report include detailed information regarding the numbers and percentages of unemployed workers, job losers, discouraged workers, and marginally attached workers.

Rep. Ryan Warner (R-Fayette) has filed HR 401, which urges the House of Representatives to restrict the times of day in which legislative votes may be cast and prohibit secret votes. The legislation’s stated goal is to create a more efficient and effective government through greater transparency and accountability. The bill was prompted by a last minute amendment to SB 224 (sponsored by Sen. David Argall (R-Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill)), a bill that would amend the Election Code, last October 4 at 11:00 p.m. The resolution calls for House business to take place during “practical hours of the day” and would prohibit committee votes after 11:00 p.m., as is already prohibited for the full House.

On Thursday, April 11, the federal House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, led by Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) and Mary Scanlon (D-PA-5), held a hearing “Fighting for a Free Press: Protecting Journalists and their Sources” to examine the federal government’s infringement on the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of the press, as well as federal shield law proposals. The members kept the focus on the need for a federal shield law and urged the Senate to take up the PRESS Act, which passed the House on a unanimous basis earlier this year. N/MA has let PNA know that they will continue to vigorously advocate for the passage of the PRESS Act in the US Senate.

HB 1903, introduced by Rep. Melissa Cerrato (D-Montgomery) and a bill which would amend Title 53 to add a chapter on water and sewer projects, was amended on second consideration on the House floor on Monday to require notice by newspaper publication. If a municipality determines that a particular supply utilized in the replacement or remediation of a water or sewer lateral is not American-made, or is not available in sufficient quantities, the municipality would be required to publish notice of that determination in at least two newspapers of general circulation within the municipality, as well as on their social media and publicly accessible internet website. This amended version passed the full House on Tuesday and now goes to the Senate.

Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming and Union) has filed a co-sponsor memorandum seeking legislation that would authorize video and audio recording of criminal and civil court proceedings in the Commonwealth. Recording child witnesses and alleged victims of sexual assault would be prohibited. Rep. Flick’s motivation is to promote transparency and accountability within Pennsylvania’s judicial system.

Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) has filed a co-sponsor memorandum contemplating legislation that would require that 7-year financial statements from all Commonwealth special funds be represented in the annual Governor’s Executive Budget proposals and materials. Currently, the memorandum states, these financial statements are provided only for three special funds: the General Fund, the Motor License Fund, and the Lottery Fund.

A bill that would prohibit the use of handheld cellphones and similar devices while operating a motor vehicle passed the House on Tuesday. SB 37, which is designed to strengthen traffic laws with stronger deterrents, is sponsored by Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna/Monroe/Wayne). A House Transportation Committee amendment contains an added provision that would require data collection for self-initiated traffic stops and an annual publication of aggregated data from these collections. The requirements are positive except for the addition of language that makes the data collected nonpublic under the Right-to-Know Law. The provision is unnecessary and restricts access to information that is currently public. PNA is seeking a language change on the bill. The legislation now heads back to the Senate, and that chamber would have to concur in the House’s amendments in order for the bill to proceed to the governor.

Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) has filed HB 2196, which would require consumers to be notified of the existence of an automatic renewal clause prior to executing a contract and prior to automatic renewal. Sellers would also be required to notify consumers if a contract is sold and allow consumers to opt out of the automatic renewal provision.

Rep. Christina Sappey (D-Chester) has introduced HB 2160, a bill that would require a First Class Township vacancy board to meet to fill a vacancy within 15 days if township commissioners fail to do so after 30 days. The legislation would, among other provisions, call for a public meeting to explain why a vacancy is not filled by the appropriate deadlines.

Rep. Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie) said in a co-sponsor memo he plans to file a bill requiring legislators to disclose whether they have stock in The Hershey Co. or any other company with ownership interest in state symbols similar to the way they must disclose financial interest in casino ownership. The memo follows the House passage last week of Rep. Thomas Mehaffie’s (R-Dauphin) HB 1030, which would make the Hershey Kiss the official state candy. Roae noted in the memo that Hershey stock jumped from $190.90 to $193.71 after the bill was approved by the lower chamber. HB 1030 moves the Senate for consideration.

Reps. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) and Christopher Rabb (D-Philadelphia) plan to file a bill that would require consumers to be notified by sellers of an automatic renewal clause before executing a contract and before an automatic renewal. Additionally, sellers would be required to alert consumers when contracts are sold and allow consumers to opt out of the automatic renewal provision. Read the co-sponsor memo.

Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Butler/Lawrence) indicated in a co-sponsor memo his plans to refile legislation that would require a public body to post notice of a project labor agreement on its website at least 20 days before the solicitation of bids on a public project to which the PLA would apply. This legislation was HB 373 in the 2019-2020 legislative session.