Legislative Update

PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Bevan Melewsky offered testimony about issues that have arisen with the state’s Right-to-Know Law to the House Intergovernmental Operations & Affairs Committee Monday.

“While the RTKL represented a significant improvement over the prior law and placed Pennsylvanians in a better position to hold their government accountable, experience has revealed areas where the law can and should be improved,” Melewsky said.

Among the area addressed in her testimony included timing and administrative barriers, criminal and non-criminal investigation exemptions, record format, pre-decisional deliberations, emergency response logs, and fee shifting. She also shared concerns about legislation dealing with vexatious requesters as well as legislation that expands the disclosure exemptions beyond the ones provided for in the RTKL.

Corinna Wilson, a partner of Philadelphia-based Obermayer’s Transparency and Public Data Practice, also offered testimony along with Liz Wagenseller, executive director of the state Office of Open Records, and representatives from the state associations for boroughs and county commissioners. A video of the hearing can be found here.

Sen. Dawn Keefer (R-Cumberland/York) intends to offer legislation requiring all state boards, commissions, authorities and councils to justify their continued existence on a staggered 12-year review cycle. Any entity that is not reauthorized would automatically be terminated within six months.

Rep. Kristen Marcell (R-Bucks) and Rep. Eric Davanzo (R-Westmoreland) plan to introduce legislation that would provide tax relief through two targeted tax holidays. Marcell’s bill would exempt cell phone service from gross receipts and sales taxes for six months. Davanzo’s proposal would exempt electricity from the gross receipts tax for six months. Other lawmakers are proposing tax holidays on other items including prom attire, firefighter gear and more.

Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) announced her plan to resign from her 12^th state House District seat, effective Tuesday. She has held the seat for two terms and previously declared her intention not to seek re-election to a third term.

HB 1291 is scheduled to receive second consideration on the House floor Tuesday. The legislation would modernize the state Newspaper Advertising Act by requiring public notices to appear in print and newspaper websites. The bill would preserve notices in traditional newspapers while allowing them to be published in legitimate, established online and free publications in communities where print newspapers no longer exist. In all cases, publications would be required to post notices on their websites, outside paywalls, and on a statewide public notice website. Potential amendments to HB 1291 will be offered Tuesday. Sponsored by the House Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton), the legislation is strongly supported by PNA. House proceedings can be viewed here.

The House Intergovernmental Affairs & Operations Committee will hold an informational meetingMonday to examine emerging trends and challenges related to Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Know Law.

PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Bevan Melewsky and Terry Mutchler, chair of Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP’s transparency and public data practice, will testify at the meeting, which begins at 9:15 a.m. Additional testimony will be offered by Liz Wagenseller, executive director of the state’s Office of Open Records, along representatives from the state associations of boroughs and county commissioners.

A livestream of the hearing will be available here and here.

Rep. Chris Pielli (D-Chester) plans to introduce legislation extending the deadline for mail-in ballots to be received by county election offices to seven days after Election Day, instead of 8 p.m. on Election Day. This is in response to the new U.S. Postal Service procedure that applies postmarks at regional facilities, which could delay ballot delivery to county offices and prevent them from being counted.

Rep. Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) introduced HB 2284, which would establish an annual fee for municipalities that rely on the Pennsylvania State Police for full- or part-time coverage. Municipalities with their own local or regional police departments would be exempt. His proposal calls for using the revenue from these fees to phase out the $500 million annual transfer from the Motor License Fund that subsidizes state police coverage for municipalities without local law enforcement.

Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) signaled her intention to offer legislation that would raise the state’s minimum wage each year by the same cost-of-living adjustment lawmakers receive. “If we are getting a raise from taxpayers, then taxpayers should get a raise as well,” she wrote in her cosponsorship memo. Pennsylvania’s $7.25 minimum hourly wage remains unchanged since 2009.

Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) plans to offer legislation that would require political advertisements to disclose when artificial intelligence was used in their creation, aligning Pennsylvania with the 26 states that already have laws regulating AI in political ads. “While not always malicious, these tools pose real harm and the opportunities to present misinformation or deceive the public are abundant,” her cosponsorship memo states.

Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) plans to offer a resolution designating March 15-21 as Sunshine Week in Pennsylvania to highlight the importance of open government meetings and emphasize the public’s right to observe and participate in decisions affecting their communities.

Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) plans to reintroduce legislation requiring special elections to fill vacant state House or Senate seats be held during the next regularly scheduled primary or general election. According to her cosponsorship memo, aligning vacancy elections with already scheduled primary or general elections lowers unnecessary costs, uses taxpayer dollars more efficiently and increases voter participation.

Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) introduced HB 2260, which would establishsafeguards to protect Pennsylvanians from civil immigration arrests made without a warrant on courthouse and commonwealth property. “Our legal and democratic systems must remain safe and available to all, or our democracy fails” she wrote in her cosponsorship memo.

Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) signaled his intention to introduce legislation that would prohibit utilities from passing along costs of lobbying or political activities to customers through their utility bills. The proposal also would require utilities to disclose and itemize expenses related to lobbying and other nonservice-related activities in filings to the Pennsylvania Utility Commission. “These costs must be borne by utility shareholders, not the people who are already making difficult choices to afford basic energy needs,” his cosponsorship memo states.

Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) intends to introduce legislation requiring public officials and employees to disclose on their Statement of Financial Interests whether they have an immediate family member who has an employment or contractual relationship or other beneficial financial interest involving a lobbyist or lobbying firm. Her cosponsorship memo states the public is entitled to “clear and complete disclosure” when it comes to these relationships so they can see where potential conflicts may exist.

Rep. Mandy Steele (D-Allegheny) intends to introduce legislation designating the Scarlet Tanager — known for the male’s brilliant red plumage and black wings — as Pennsylvania’s state migratory bird. Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Beaver/Greene/Washington) will offer separate legislation to name rye whiskey as the state’s official spirit.

Steele’s cosponsorship memo states that recognizing the Scarlet Tanager, a species that breeds in the state’s forests before migrating south, would underscore “the economic value of healthy forests and thriving wildlife while promoting Pennsylvania as a premier destination for outdoor recreation.”

Bartolotta highlighted Pennsylvania’s historic ties to rye whiskey, tracing back to the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion. She pointed out the tradition continues to be recognized through an annual festival in Washington, Pa., and craft distillers statewide producing the spirit using local grain and traditional methods. Rep. Marla Brown (R-Lawrence) plans to introduce a similar bill in the House.

Rep. Jessica Benham (D-Allegheny) plans to offer legislation that would bar grocery retailers from offering discounts that are exclusively digital. The proposal is intended to ensure that seniors and low-income households as well as those without smartphones, internet access or digital literacy, are not excluded from lower prices.

Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery) signaled her intention to offer legislation that would require the Department of Corrections to develop a uniform statewide system for licensing, inspecting and holding accountable detention centers operated by private entities, federal contractors or other noncommonwealth actors. This would ensure any detention facility in Pennsylvania “is held to consistent, Commonwealth-defined standards of safety, accountability, and public transparency,” she wrote in her cosponsorship memo.

Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks/Lehigh ) introduced SB 1192, which would require all proposed school district tax increases to be submitted to voters via referendum, beginning this year. “If school districts want to extract more revenue from taxpayers, then they’ll need to make their case directly to the folks paying the bills,” he wrote in his cosponsorship memo.

Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) plans to introduce legislation requiring social media platforms to obtain users’ consent before utilizing a users’ data to generate artificial intelligence-driven content or interactions on their behalf after their death or prolonged account inactivity.

“Using the name or online profile or a deceased loved one is a horrible invasion of a person’s legacy and privacy. We need to ensure that social media users have the right to determine what happens with their digital identity after they have passed,” his cosponsorship memo states.

Rep. Carl Metzgar (R-Somerset) intends to introduce legislation that would prohibit the marketing or sale of a product labeled as Monongahela Rye Whiskey unless it is distilled in Pennsylvania and meets other requirements designed to protect the integrity of this historic Pennsylvania spirit.

Rep. Nathan Davidson (D-Cumberland/Dauphin) signaled his intention to introduce legislation that would allow cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest nickel. His cosponsorship memo points out several states advanced similar proposals that apply only to cash payments but not for electronic transfers, checks, debit card or credit card transactions.

Rep. Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) plans to offer legislation that would create a new criminal offense for anyone who prevents or disrupts religious worship. “Freedom of religion is a cornerstone of our democracy.  Worshippers should feel safe and secure when practicing their faith.  By passing this legislation, we reinforce our commitment to protecting constitutional rights and ensuring that those who seek to disrupt or intimidate are held accountable,” according to his cosponsorship memo.

Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) plans to introduce legislation that would launch a public education campaign focused on artificial intelligence. The initiative would address such topics as identifying AI-generated content, avoiding AI-enabled scams, protecting personal data when using AI, and protecting children from AI misuse.  

“The more we can do to help the public understand AI, the more that this technology can flourish as a productive and beneficial part of society, rather than a tool that harms vulnerable groups like our seniors and our children,” Ciresi wrote in his cosponsorship memo.

Sen. Maria Collett (D-Montgomery) signaled her intention to offer legislation that would have Pennsylvania join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. The agreement aims to ensure the presidency goes to the candidate who wins the most votes nationwide by requiring participating states to award their electoral votes to that candidate.

Democratic candidates won both of Tuesday’s special elections to fill House vacancies in Allegheny and Lehigh counties, securing the party’s continued control of that chamber.

In Allegheny County, high school teacher and Dormont Borough Council President Jennifer Mazzocco won the 42nd state House District, filling the remainder of former Rep. Dan Miller’s term following his resignation to become an Allegheny County judge.

In Lehigh County, Ana Tiburcio captured the 22nd House District seat vacated by former Rep. Josh Siegel, who resigned to become the county’s executive.

Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) announced last week he will not seek reelection to the 200^th state House district seat, which he held for five terms. Instead, he is running for Congress in the 3^rd Congressional District, a seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans.

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) plans to introduce legislation that would bar federal agents from being present at polling places on Election Day. “No eligible voter should face fear or intimidation when attempting to exercise their right to vote,” he wrote in the cosponsorship memo.

Rep. Dallas Kephart (R-Cambria/Clearfield) has introduced HB 2211, which would eliminate the automatic cost-of-living adjustments statutorily provided to lawmakers, judges and certain executive branch officials. The bill would make lawmakers vote on future pay raises.

Rep. John Inglis III (D-Allegheny) plans to offer legislation aimed at creating more population-balanced state legislative districts by capping the population deviation at no more than 3% above or below the ideal size. The bill also would seek to minimize county and municipal splits and preserve communities of interest as much as possible. During the most recent redistricting cycle, state House districts varied by an 8.65% range and Senate districts by 8.11%. 

Inglis also signaled his intention to offer legislation that would allow non-incumbent political candidates to draw a salary from their campaign funds while running for office.  A separate measure he is preparing would authorize the secretary of state to establish uniform precinct‑naming conventions statewide, a change aimed at making precinct‑level election data more accessible and easier to use.

Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) plans to offer legislation to lower the signature requirements and eliminate filing fees for candidates. He said in his cosponsorship memo this would “make running for office more accessible for potential candidates and will increase ballot diversity for voters.”

Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski  (D-Luzerne) announced last week he will not seek an 11^th term representing the 121^st state House District, the Times Leader reported.

On Monday, Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) announced she is not seeking a third term representing the 12^th state House District, the Butler Eagle reported.

Rep. Brenda Pugh (R-Luzerne) proposes amending the constitution to require the General Assembly to convene every weekday (excluding state holidays) whenever a state budget has not been enacted by July 31. HB 2194 “would allow for continuous, uninterrupted collaboration between House and Senate members, and the governor. With unimpeded communication and debate, the General Assembly would have the opportunity to work towards an agreement with minimal delay,” her cosponsorship memo states.

Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) intends to introduce legislation creating a publicly accessible registry of domestic violence offenders that would be maintained  by Pennsylvania State Police. Her proposal would require individuals convicted of certain domestic violence offenses — and who demonstrate a documented pattern of repeat abuse — to register with the state. The bill would establish criminal penalties for offenders who fail to register or update their information. Boscola’s legislation would require notification to victims and law enforcement when an offender initially registers and when there is an address change.

Sen. Joe Picozzi (R-Philadelphia) plans to introduce legislation aimed at simplifying the process for candidates to register to run for public office. His proposal would allow candidates to submit an unsworn statement in place of a notarized affidavit as part of their petition packet to appear on the ballot. “This simple change will minimize unnecessary complexity in the filing process and reduce a barrier to participation for potential candidates,” his cosponsorship memo states.

Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) is proposing a constitutional amendment that seeks to reduce conflict in the redistricting process by requiring that the newly drawn legislative maps receive a bipartisan vote of at least four of the five Legislative Reapportionment Commission members. Her proposal wouldrequire public disclosure of proposed maps and mandate all members of the General Assembly to submit comments reflecting communities of interest within their districts.

Rep. Jason Dawkins (D-Philadelphia) signaled his intention to introduce legislation to establish and strengthen penalties for using the internet to groom or sexually extort a child as well as creating or trafficking artificial sexual depictions of a child. His proposal also would require courts to order restitution for victims of exploitation, including costs related to counseling and treatment, relocation, lost income, and reasonable expenses to remove or suppress online images.

The House Local Government Committee on Wednesday approved an amended version of HB 1291, sponsored by committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton), to modernize the state’s 50-year-old Newspaper Advertising Act. The amendment, which passed on a bipartisan 22-4 vote, would:

• Allow online-only, free and digital successors of printed newspapers that meet certain requirements to compete for public notices if there is no printed newspaper in a community.
• Require public notices to be posted in an easy-to-find location on a news outlet’s landing page, in front of the paywall, in addition to the print edition if one exists. All notices must be added to the statewide public notice website maintained by PNA at no extra cost.
• Make notices posted on a news website and the statewide website to be legally binding when urgent publication is required before the next print edition, where the notice must also appear.
• Clarify the legislation doesn’t affect legal journals.
• Direct municipalities to adopt a resolution at a public meeting identifying where their public notices will appear.

While the amendment received strong bipartisan support, the amended bill itself passed on a 14-12 party-line vote, with all Republicans opposing. The legislation now moves to the full House for consideration.

The House Local Government Committee also on Wednesday passed HB 2146, also sponsored by Chairman Freeman, to narrow the exceptions to the Sunshine Act’s requirement that government boards post their agendas at least 24 hours prior to a meeting.

The bill allows exceptions to the 24-hour rule for emergencies and matters of a de minimis nature. The committee adopted an amendment that adds tailored exemptions for certain “minor administrative” matters, including ones inadvertently omitted from an agenda that would cause a hardship if action were delayed.

Those administrative exceptions are personnel actions limited to firings, leaves, investigations or discipline; authorizations of time-sensitive legal filings; purchase or bill approvals below the telephonic bidding threshold (currently $13,200) for needed repairs to government property and purchase approvals under the bidding threshold (currently $24,500) to buy property at auction; grant applications facing imminent deadlines; processing paperwork for previously approved small borrowings or tax anticipation notes; and permit approvals for sewer modules.

The bill approved unanimously by the committee is positioned to be considered by the full House.

Two bills intended to promote and strengthen local journalism, sponsored by Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia), cleared the House Communications & Technology Committee on Wednesday on a party-line 14-12 vote.

HB 2047, as amended by the committee, would bolster newsroom capacity by creating a state-supported journalism fellowship program for early-career journalists with a focus on underserved communities. HB 2048, as amended by the committee, would establish an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization responsible for awarding grants that improve access to local news and civic information and encourage innovation and collaboration among local news outlets. Both bills now head to the full House for consideration.

The House on Wednesday voted 100-98 to approve HB 490, sponsored by Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia), which would extend Pennsylvania’s Shield Law for journalists by providing protection for nonconfidential sources or newsgathering materials. It would codify a three-part standard by allowing compelled disclosure only when the information is unavailable from any other source, essential to the case, and obtainable only from the journalist. This bill aims to strengthen protections for reporters and safeguard the integrity of the newsgathering process. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

The House on Wednesday approved HR 398, sponsored by Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver), designating the week of March 15-21 as Sunshine Week in Pennsylvania. The resolution highlights the basic principles of an open and accessible government as essential components of a free society.

House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) scheduled a May 19 special election, a date that coincides with the primary election, to fill the 196^th House District seat in York County, which was vacated by Rep. Seth Grove last week.

Sen. Pat Stefano (R-Bedford/Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland) introduced SB 1150, legislation aimed at narrowing the exceptions to the Sunshine Act’s requirement for government boards to publish a meeting agenda at least 24 hours in advance. The legislation would clarify that exceptions are limited to emergencies and matters de minimis in nature. Stefano’s bill is fundamentally the same as HB 2146 that Rep. Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) introduced. Both measures were offered to address concerns raised by a recent state Supreme Court ruling that permits government boards to consider almost any matter during a meeting without prior public notification. PNA supports both bills in their current forms.

Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) intends to offer legislation establishing a registry for individuals convicted of felony animal cruelty or aggravated cruelty to animals. It would help protect animals and communities, deter repeat offenders, and support enforcement of existing penalties for egregious cruelty that currently result in felony charges, according to his cosponsorship memo.The proposal — called Aimee’s Law, named after 6-month-old Husky who was abandoned in freezing temperatures and later died — is similar to HB 2143 introduced by Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson (R-Bucks).

Rep. Chris Pielli (D-Chester) plans to offer legislation that would lower the minimum age to serve on a school board from 18 to 16 years old. According to his cosponsorship memo, the measure would expand civic engagement among younger voters and ensure students have a direct voice in decisions that shape their education.

Incumbent Seth Grove will resign from his 196^th state House District seat Saturday, ending a 17-year tenure in the legislature. Grove announced his resignation on Wednesday. He is leaving office after taking a job in the private sector as president and CEO of the Harrisburg-based Pennsylvania Aggregates and Concrete Association.

Rep. Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) introduced HB 2146 to address issues arising from a recent state Supreme Court ruling that allows virtually any matter to be considered without providing the public the required 24-hour notice.

PNA believes Freeman’s bill would limit exceptions to the 24-hour notice rule to emergencies or matters de minimis in nature that do not involve the expenditure of funds. When an exception is necessary, the change would need to be announced at the meeting and approved by a majority vote. The agenda would then have to be updated to reflect the change and posted on the agency’s office and, if available, website no later than the following day.

Rep. Robert Matzie (D- Beaver) plans to offer a resolution to recognize March 15 to 21 as “Sunshine Week” in Pennsylvania. Sunshine Week, first established in 2005, is intended to spark discussion about the importance of open government and the public’s right to access to government documents and meetings. The week coincides with James Madison’s birthday, underscoring its focus on promoting transparency and accountability in government, according to Matzie’s cosponsorship memo.

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia) intends to offer legislation prohibiting public officials and employees from working for a lobbying firm or trade association. “This will help limit the influence of special interest groups in Harrisburg while ensuring that Pennsylvanians know that their government is representing their interests,” Kenyatta’s cosponsorship memo states.

Rep. Kathleen Tomlinson (R-Bucks) introduced HB 2143, which  would require individuals convicted of an animal abuse crime to annuallyregister their personal information and the offense for which they were convicted for a period of 15 years.  County sheriffs would maintain local registries and forward information to the Pennsylvania State Police, which would create a publicly accessible central registry.

Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-Allegheny/Washington) plans to introduce a bill to modernize the 50-year-old Newspaper Advertising Act. His proposal would allow local governments to publish public notices electronically or in print in a menu of places, such as government websites.

PNA supports HB 1291, which would permit notices to appear in online or free newspapers if no printed newspaper exists in a community, while ensuring they remain in a trusted, independent news source.

Rep. Valerie Gaydos (D-Allegheny) intends to introduce a constitutional amendment to change how the five-member bipartisan Legislative Reapportionment Commission operates. The commission redraws legislative maps after the federal census to balance populations across the 203 House districts and 50 senatorial districts.

Her proposal would require a vote of four of the five members to approve a plan, make the maps publicly available, extend timelines for debate, and require input from members of the General Assembly to reflect their communities of interest.

Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-Lehigh) introduced HB 2123, which would impose fines on unlicensed adoption intermediaries that provide service or advertise adoptions. If enacted, Pennsylvania would join 31 states and the District of Columbia in prohibiting this practice, according to McNeil’s cosponsorship memo.

Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) plans to offer legislation requiring greater transparency, oversight and reporting of taxpayer-funded child care programs to ensure funds are used efficiently, her cosponsorship memo states. The most recent three-month report on child care program inspections, complaints and actions by the Department of Human Services was published in 2022.

Rep. Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland) announced on Tuesday she will not seek reelection to another term in the House of Representatives representing the narrowly divided district she has served for the past 19 years, according to PennLive.com.

Two House members intend to introduce legislation to address transparency concerns arising from a recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Sunshine Act that allows government agencies to add items to their meeting agenda without prior notice to the public.

Reps. Robert Freeman (D-Northampton), chair of the House Local Government Committee, and Brad Roae (R-Crawford/Erie), the ranking Republican on the House State Government Committee, seek their colleagues’ support to preserve what they say was the original intent behind the 2021 amendment to the Sunshine Act requiring government agencies to make meeting agendas available to the public at least 24 hours in advance. The amendment excepted emergencies and de minimis matters from the requirement.

The legislators said the court’s interpretation of the law allows any matter to be considered at a meeting without prior notice. “I believe this runs contrary to the intent of the rule and Sunshine Act to provide the public with a reasonable opportunity to be informed of upcoming matters to be discussed at meetings of their local municipality, school district, and Commonwealth agencies,” Freeman said in his cosponsorship memo.

“In order to preserve the purpose of the notice and agenda requirements of the Sunshine Act, the General Assembly should clarify the language regarding these exceptions and limit them to an appropriate set of circumstances,” Roae stated in his memo.

PNA is supportive of efforts to address the transparency concern caused by the high court’s ruling, which PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky said is “an invitation for abuse and Pennsylvanians will suffer as a result.”

House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Delaware/Philadelphia) set Feb. 24 as the date for special elections to fill seats vacated by Reps. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) and Dan Miller (D-Allegheny). Special elections to fill the seats of Reps. Torren Ecker (R-Franklin) and Lou Schmitt (R-Blair) will be held March 17. All four left to serve in elective roles in their respective counties. Their legislative districts are considered party strongholds, so control of the House is likely to remain under Democratic control by one vote for the remainder of the session, which ends Nov. 30.

Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), a one-time House speaker, told party officials last month he won’t run for reelection to the seat he has held for 20 years, according to LNP | LancasterOnline.

Cutler joins Reps. Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery), a seven-term lawmaker, and Anita Kulik (D-Allegheny), a five-term incumbent, both of whom announced last year they would not seek reelection.

Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) intends to introduce legislation that would place a lien on private property that received upgrades, renovations or improvements using taxpayer money. The payment would be triggered upon the subsequent transfer of property ownership. This stems from the $1.1 million spent on security upgrades to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private residence outside Philadelphia, according to her cosponsorship memo. While she acknowledges security upgrades to a private residence may be necessary to keep elected officials safe, “Taxpayers deserve to know what they are paying for and to know that it will come back to the state should the property be sold.” Rep. Wendy Fink (R-York) signaled her intention to offer a companion bill on this topic in the House.

Rep. Tarik Khan (D-Philadelphia) plans to offer legislation that would prevent communities from placing arbitrary limits on the number of unrelated roommates who can occupy a home. Calling it the “Golden Girls Law” after the popular 1980s TV show about four woman who shared a home, Khan said in his cosponsorship memo his goal is to expand housing options while helping people afford to stay in their communities.

Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin) introduced SR 200 that would establish a special committee to investigate the April 13 arson attack on the Governor’s Residence and issue a report to senators within 90 days.

Rep. Jeff Olsommer (R-Pike/Wayne) proposes legislation requiring school districts to direct new property tax revenue resulting from data center construction to be used to reduce homeowners and farmers’ property tax bills.

Rep. Jeanne McNeill

Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-Lehigh) intends to offer legislation to give parents tools to control the personal information that companies providing online services can collect from minors. It would require businesses to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment before offering new online services, products, or features that are likely to be accessed by children under the age of 18. Other bills that seek to address social media access by minors include SB 22, offered by Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) and HB 1430, sponsored by Rep. Brian Munroe (D-Bucks).

The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee on Tuesday voted along party-lines to use its rarely used power to issue subpoenas for information about the more than $1 million of taxpayer funds spent on security upgrades made to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s private home in suburban Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania State Police recommended the upgrades following the arson attack on the governor’s official residence in Harrisburg. Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Bucks/Lehigh), who chairs the GOP-controlled committee, said the subpoenas for the security upgrade records as well as information relating to the governor’s air travel are necessary to find out basic details about how public funds are being spent; Democratic members called the subpoenas an invasion of privacy and outside the committee’s authority.

Rep. Jeremy Shaffer (R-Lehigh) proposes legislation to prohibit video streaming services from transmitting commercial advertisements at a volume louder than the programs they accompany. “This measure will help ensure a more comfortable and consistent viewing experience for consumers and protect them from the jarring and disruptive nature of excessively loud advertisements,” his cosponsorship memo states.

Rep. Kristin Marcell (R-Bucks) intends to offer legislation to increase the penalty for violating the confidentiality requirement of the Safe2Say Something, a program designed to provide a confidential platform for students and adults to report tips of potential violence. Her bill would raise the penalty to a second-degree misdemeanor. The law currently has it as a misdemeanor of the third degree.

A co-sponsorship memo circulated by Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) outlines her plans to increase transparency and public participation in the selection process for judicial nominees to vacant positions. The bill would include a requirement that the Office of General Counsel post the names and application paperwork on its publicly accessible website for 30 days; allow for public comment to the majority and minority chairpersons of committees conducting confirmation hearings; and require a broadcasted public hearing for nominees.

Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) has introduced SB 1010, a joint resolution proposing to increase the state budget cycle from one to two years. Read the co-sponsor memo and bill here.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick

The Senate Communications & Technology Committee Tuesday approved SB 1090, sponsored by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery), to require platforms that use artificial intelligence chatbots to disclose the user is communicating with a non-human. Additional disclosures would be required when a minor uses the chatbot. The bill exempts businesses that use AI for customer service and PNA believes it would have no impact on PNA members as drafted. A similar bill, HB 2006, has been introduced in the House by Rep. Melissa Shusterman (D-Chester).

The bipartisan, bicameral Local Government Commission approved a proposal for the General Assembly’s consideration that would specify what the summary of a proposed ordinance in a newspaper advertisement must include to meet the state’s legal requirements. Current law requires counties, First Class cities, boroughs, and First- and Second-Class townships to publish the full text of proposed ordinances or the title and a brief summary of the proposal in a public notice prior to enactment. The law does not define “brief summary” and the commission is offering this proposal to address concerns that the lack of clarity in the statute could result in court challenges. The proposed legislation would require the summary to include specific information, a location where the full text is available to the public, and it would impose a limit on liability if the information was provided as required by law.