Legislative update

Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky will be among the testifiers at a March 24 Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee hearing on government officials’ use of messaging apps that automatically delete communications within a day that could be subject to the Right-to-Know Law.

The committee wants to learn if a law change is needed to ensure appropriate transparency and accountability to the public. The hearing will begin at 11 a.m. in Hearing Room 1 of the North Office Building in the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg. It also will be livestreamed on the committee’s website.

Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D-Montgomery) plans to offer legislation that aims to eliminate the “double-dipping” conflict of interest that arises when former state lawmakers engage in lobbying activity before the former legislative body in which they were a member.

Current law does not permit former representatives and senators to lobby before the chamber where they served for one year after leaving office. Her bill would impose the pension and health benefit restrictions once that time has passed, according to her memo.

Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) is proposing a package of bills targeted at giving lawmakers more say over potential closure of branch campuses of the state’s four state-related universities: Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln.

It would require legislative approval of a campus closure, mergers or significant downsizing. It also would require public hearings and an economic impact study of any campus closure under consideration. Other bills in the three-bill package would look at the educational and financial impact of a closure.

With the dollars legislators use to pay for their expenses coming out of taxpayers’ pockets, Sen. Lindsey Williams (D-Allegheny) proposes legislation that would require the House and Senate chief clerks’ offices to publicly post on an accessible website all expenses paid for out of legislators’ and caucuses’ accounts.

Some lawmakers individually post their expenses already but Williams’ memo said this would provide the public with “a full, transparent picture of how their taxpayer dollars are being spent.”

Sen. Scott Martin (R-Berks/Lancaster) intends to offer a resolution calling on Congress to end the practice of changing the clocks twice a year. His memo says research links the time shifts to increased car accidents, workplace injuries, health problems and an estimated $400 million in lost productivity annually.

Sen. Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Columbia/Luzerne/Montour) plans to offer legislation requiring the Department of Aging to establish a statewide elder-abuse registry.

It would include the name, address and photo of a substantiated perpetrator of abuse, neglect and abandonment or exploitation of older adults along with a description of the abuse and the date and location where it occurred. It also would prohibit individuals on the registry from working as a caregiver of a care-dependent individual.

While many candidates and political action committees already file their campaign finance reports electronically, Rep. Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery) wants to make this a requirement.

His memo said electronic filing improves government transparency and accountability while reducing the cost to the commonwealth. His proposed bill also expands the permitted ways money remaining in a campaign account of a candidate or political committee can be disbursed when the account is terminated.

Rep. Eric Davanzo (R-Westmoreland) intends to introduce a proposed constitutional amendment allowing the General Assembly to establish meeting attendance policies for local government officials to remedy concerns about absenteeism from meetings.

Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) reintroduced legislation to reform the Right-to-Know Law to allow, not require, a fee to be charged for a commercial purpose request. The fee would be calculated based on the hourly wage of the lowest-paid agency employee responding to the request.

“It takes taxpayer-paid time of agency employees to complete these requests, and it is only fair that if the request is for a commercial purpose, the agency be compensated for their time in completing the request,” her memo states.

SB 350 would carve out exclusions for record requests from a nonprofit educational or noncommercial scientific institution for scholarly or scientific research, or the use of a record by the news media, a journalist or an author for news gathering or dissemination in a newspaper, periodical, book, digital publication, or radio or television broadcast.

Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Allegheny) intends to reoffer legislation that adds property deeds of victims of stalking, domestic violence and human trafficking to the list of records protected by the state’s Address Confidentiality Program. The program is designed to provide an extra layer of protection for these crime victims and it covers such records as apartment addresses and voting records.  

Sen. Katie Muth (D-Berks/Chester/Montgomery) plans to introduce legislation to remove the publication requirement and seal court records when a person changes their name.

Her memo states this change would make the legal name-change process more affordable by removing Title 54 requirements requiring an applicant to submit a petition to the court where it is publicly accessible online and publish a notice in two newspapers. The proposed legislation is offered as part of a package to remove barriers for transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive Pennsylvanians that also includes a measure that would remove sex from birth certificates.

Rep. Shelby Labs (R-Bucks) plans to reintroduce legislation that would allow drivers to include emergency contact information and medical conditions on their PennDOT driving record. This could mitigate communication barriers between police and motorists that may occur from such conditions as autism spectrum disorder or deafness and create “safer conditions for all involved parties,” her memo states. 

Rep. Darisha Parker (D-Philadelphia) plans to offer legislation to require businesses to post any surcharges or fees assessed when a debit or credit card is used for payment.

“People deserve fairness when buying goods and services,” her memo states. “We need these protections so seniors and our family members can make informed decisions and be assured of a fair purchase. This fix will also aid businesses in avoiding confusion and upset customers.”

Rep. Charity Grimm Krupa (R-Fayette) proposes legislation requiring state agencies to post monthly their expenditures of taxpayer funds on their publicly accessible websites.

Further, it would require agencies to submit quarterly affirmations to the auditor general confirming that their financial records dealing with spending taxpayer funds were posted. It would give the auditor general the authority to conduct periodic audits to ensure accuracy and compliance.

“By making this information readily available, we can build greater trust in our state government and help safeguard against financial mismanagement,” her memo states.

Noting that the General Assembly passed a state budget on time only a handful of times over the past decade, Rep. Barb Gleim (R-Cumberland) proposes moving to a biennial (two-year) budget cycle.

In her memo, she said this “would greatly increase the efficiency and productivity of state government, while encouraging long-range planning among state agencies and other entities receiving state appropriations.” She said it also would avoid the harmful impacts that budget impasses can have on Pennsylvanians.

Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) plans to offer legislation that would require public-private partnerships created under executive orders, such as Team PA Foundation, to comply with the Right-to-Know Law and file annual comprehensive financial reports with the General Assembly and governor.

Spotlight PA has reported on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s use of Team PA Foundation dollars to cover the cost of tickets and trips to high-profile sporting events, which have drawn criticism from government reform groups.

“The public should have a greater transparency on these entities,” Grove said.

Rep. Jennifer O’Mara (D-Delaware) introduced legislation that would allow voters to begin casting their ballots 30 days before an election up through the day before Election Day.

HB 669 establishes the county board of elections office and designated polling places as venues where voters could cast early ballots.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) wants to modernize the state’s forgery law to address the rise of “deepfakes” and other digital impersonation.

She proposes legislation to include “forged digital likeness” in the law. It would make creating a digital representation of a real person without their consent and distributing that image as genuine with the intent to defraud, injure or deceive subject to penalties.

“This measure takes great care to protect First Amendment rights and preserves valid expressions of parody, satire, and other forms of free speech,” her memo states. “It is imperative that we address harmful impersonations while safeguarding legitimate artistic, journalistic, and expressive works.”

Sen. David Argall (R-Carbon/Luzerne/Schuylkill) proposes a bill that would add “several’’ local officials to a list of public servants who, if assaulted while performing their duties, would see the offense committed against them elevated to aggravated assault.

In justifying the need for this change, he cites a National League of Cities survey that found 73% of mayors, city council and city managers said they experienced harassment as part of their work and 60% claim the level of harassment has worsened since entering office.

Municipalities could make audio recordings of zoning hearing board hearings as the official record of the proceeding under proposed legislation from Rep. Andrew Kuzma (R-Allegheny/Washington).

“Under current law, zoning hearing boards are required to keep a stenographic record of hearings, which can place a financial burden on municipalities and applicants,” his memo states. “This requirement often leads to increased costs and delays, particularly for smaller municipalities with limited resources.”

With the growth in online shopping, particularly in the Lehigh Valley, and Pennsylvania’s prime geographic location for nationwide shipping, Rep. Joe Emrick (R-Northampton) has introduced legislation to add a new requirement to the approval process for warehouse projects. HB 750 would require voter approval of any warehouse development located in the voters’ municipality before the decision is considered final.

Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) introduced a resolution to designate the week of March 16 as “Sunshine Week” in Pennsylvania.

“There was a time in the not-so-distant past when many state and local government meetings were closed to the public and important decisions were made with no public input. Thankfully, that is no longer true,” his memo states.

Rep. Chris Rabb (D-Philadelphia) proposes legislation requiring more transparency in the decision-making process of PJM Interconnection, a regional organization that oversees the electrical transmission infrastructure in 13 states, including Pennsylvania. He wants PJM to disclose to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission any recorded votes made by its members including electric generators and utility companies, and a brief description for how that vote is in the public interest.

Sen. Amanda Cappelletti (D-Delaware/Montgomery) intends to reoffer legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to comply with the federal Death in Custody Reporting Act and make failing to report a misdemeanor subject to a fine.

“Comprehensive reporting of these deaths is intended to serve as a vital tool for public health and accountability,” her memo states. ”Accurate and consistent data provides officials with insight surrounding premature deaths in custody and to highlight practices and policies to create a safer criminal justice system.”

Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) plans to offer legislation prohibiting school directors from serving in a district where an immediate family member is employed. Not only does it avoid potential conflicts of interest, it helps provide a fair environment, according to her memo.

”The decisions of school directors need to be in the best interest of the students, staff, and the taxpayers of the school district, not persuaded by a conflict of interest,” her memo states.

Rep. Kristine Howard (D-Chester) plans to reoffer a resolution calling on Congress to amend the copyright law to address the ramifications of AI-generated work. She wants Congress to clarify that only works made mostly by human hand can be copyrighted. Her resolution states that “scraping” copyrighted works for the purposes of training AI is not covered under Fair Use and the work’s creator must be compensated.

Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin/Adams) is proposing legislation to create a Pennsylvania Department of Government Efficiency to promote fiscal accountability and curb wasteful spending.

The proposed state DOGE would have the authority to audit any agency in the commonwealth, to temporarily withhold payments it deems unnecessary or inefficient, and to recommend dissolving agencies considered wasteful. It would be required to report its findings to a bipartisan oversight committee. His memo states, “This initiative is a vital step in ensuring that every dollar spent is a dollar well-invested in the future of our state.”

Legislation to be offered by House Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) would modernize Pennsylvania’s public notice advertising requirements.

The proposed bill would require that public notices continue to be published in print newspapers of general circulation but would additionally require they be published on newspaper websites in front of paywalls. In an area where no print newspaper exists, the notice would meet state requirements if published in a digital newspaper of general circulation. If neither exists, the notice could be published in a free newspaper.

In all instances, public notices would be required to be posted on the statewide publicly accessible website at publicnoticepa.com that Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association maintains.

Questions regarding this proposed legislation can be directed to PNA Director of Government Affairs Jan Murphy at janm@pa-news.org or by calling 717-703-3031.

Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-Carbon) introduced HB 486, which would prohibit the use of artificially generated voices in political campaigns and establish penalties for doing so.

In his memo, Heffley states, “The reality that we face today is that technology can create fake voices that are incredibly close to that of the original subject, and this technology can be used for negatively associated campaign purposes.”

Rep. Jeanne McNeill (D-Lehigh) introduced HB 477 requiring school board candidates to obtain child abuse and state and federal criminal background clearances to ensure their eligibility to run for school board.

Pointing out teachers, school administrators and school volunteers must have these clearances to work with children, the co-sponsor memo states, “It is time to hold school board members to the same standards as others who work closely with our children.”

Pennsylvania is home to the nation’s second-largest state legislature and Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Allegheny) is reviving the idea of amending the constitution to reduce the size of the 203-member House of Representatives by 52 members.

In her memo, she points out more populated states including California, Texas, New York and Florida have fewer legislators and larger districts. Her proposal would reduce the size of the House to 151 members by 2040. Her measure is identical to a proposed constitutional change that passed both chambers a decade ago.

“Utilizing existing technology would make it possible to reduce the size of the legislature without sacrificing efficiency, communication with our constituents, or increasing expenses,” she said in the memo. “Furthermore, a smaller, more efficient legislature would allow for a more robust discussion and clearer debates, providing more time to each member to have his or her voice heard.”

Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) is proposing legislation to expand the Right-to-Know Law’s definition of commonwealth agencies to include organizations like the Allegheny Schools Health Insurance Consortium of which nearly all of Allegheny County school districts and community colleges are members.

Her legislation grows out of an Office of Open Records decision in a case involving a records dispute between the consortium and Butler Area School District

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) introduced HB 479 to give voters the convenience of registering to vote and casting a ballot on Election Day. His bill would address concerns about voter fraud by not allowing a ballot cast by a same-day registrant to be counted until the Department of State verifies the voter’s eligibility.

A flock of Philadelphia Democratic lawmakers plans to offer a resolution to recognize the Philadelphia Eagles for their rout of the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. Noting the historic and career achievements marked during the game by several players, the lawmakers’ memo offers their congratulations to the team for “this amazing Super Bowl victory.” 

The Eagles demolished the Chiefs, 40-22.

House Local Government Committee Chairman Robert Freeman (D-Northampton) plans to introduce legislation to modernize public notice advertising requirements in response to the evolving news industry.

The bill would require that public notices continue to be published in print newspapers of general circulation but would additionally require they be published on newspaper websites in front of paywalls. In an area where no print newspaper exists, the notice would meet state requirements if published in a digital newspaper of general circulation. If neither exists, the notice could be published in a free newspaper.

Both digital and free publications would be required to meet certain criteria. In all instances, public notices would be required to be posted on the statewide publicly accessible website at publicnoticepa.com that Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association has maintained for the past decade.

“The changes proposed in my bill are consistent with various recent public notice statutes adopted across the nation and will update our public notice law while ensuring Pennsylvanians can continue to find public notices in their trusted local newspapers, a disinterested, third-party whose constitutional role is to hold government accountable,” Freeman’s memo states.

The bill would be considered by the House Local Government Committee.

Photo of Gov. Shapiro by Commonwealth Media Services.

Gov. Josh Shapiro delivered his 2025-26 budget address calling for $51.5 billion in spending to a joint House-Senate session.

Throughout his hour-and-a-half-long speech, which PennLive reports is the longest documented budget address, he called for more spending on schools, subsidizing mass transit, accelerating the reduction of the corporate net income tax, closing two state prisons, legalizing recreational cannabis and creating the state’s first underground state park, among other initiatives.

He proposed dipping into the state’s Rainy Day Fund to help balance his plan, which was among the areas that drew criticism from Republican lawmakers. Here is a sampling of the news coverage the governor’s budget received:

• Spotlight PA
• PennLive
• LNP | LancasterOnline
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• The Philadelphia Inquirer

L to R: Reps Samuelson and Gillen.

Reps. Steve Samuelson (D-Northampton) and Mark Gillen (R-Berks) are teaming up to offer a proposed constitutional amendment to establish an 11-member Independent Redistricting Commission. The commission would hold public hearings, share information about redistricting proposals, and provide access to data for redistricting state Senate and House and congressional districts.

Proposed legislation to clarify the Right-to-Know Law to exclude personal financial information has been reintroduced by Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster). Miller points out in his memo that the courts have ruled information such as W-2 data and employee deductions are private tax records and not subject to disclosure under the RTKL.

His legislation would put that provision into law as well as include credit, charge and debit cards and personal and agency bank account numbers and statements in the definition of “personal financial information” that is not subject to disclosure.

Separately, Miller indicated he plans to re-offer legislation requiring all statewide and local-level ballot referendum questions involving a bond or borrowing measure to include the fiscal impact on the commonwealth and taxpayers.

Voters would be required to provide valid identification to cast a vote in an election under a proposed constitutional amendment that Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) plans to offer.

Her proposal would allow voters to use the same forms of identification that are acceptable for first-time voters. In her memo, she said this measure “will enhance election security and increase voter confidence in our most fundamental democratic process.” Pennycuick points out 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls.

Citing the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory linking alcohol consumption with an increased cancer risk, Rep. Jose Giral (D-Philadelphia) introduced legislation requiring all alcoholic beverages sold in Pennsylvania to carry a warning label.

“By ensuring that all alcoholic beverages contain this warning label, we will equip all Pennsylvanians with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their health when they drink and encourage responsible drinking overall,” his memo states.

L to R: Sens. Hughes and Phillips-Hill.

Sens. Vincent Hughes (D-Montgomery/Philadelphia) and Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) have re-introduced legislation to provide protections for minors on accessing social media platforms.

Citing data that finds social media to be a contributing factor to student mental health struggles, their legislation would require parental or guardian consent for children under age 16 to open a social media account. It would provide notification if a child under that age opens an account without parent/guardian consent. Among other controls, it would prohibit data mining for any user under age 18 and allow parents the ability to view a minor’s privacy settings and schedule time limits.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke Monday to the Pennsylvania Press Club about the progress his administration has made since he took office three years ago. He highlighted the increase in the availability of affordable housing, the $600 million 10-year investment from the state to revitalize the city’s downtown, efforts to improve public safety and raising the city’s bond rating.

“I am incredibly optimistic about the future of our city. We are a city built on resilience, community and the unwavering commitment to one another,” he said. “We are doing what’s necessary to see a city grow.”

In responding to questions from the audience, Gainey said his administration will not work with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport immigrants who entered the country illegally. He also voiced support for major nonprofits in the city to make a payment in lieu of taxes to help cover the cost of city services.

“If we’re going to be a city for all, if we’re going to be a city that grows, then everybody must pay their part,” Gainey said. “There is no reason why the nonprofits, the major nonprofits, [are] not paying their fair share.”

Read more about Gainey’s comments in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Pennsylvania State Capitol by Dwight Nadig

Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons was selected by county GOP committee members to be the party’s nominee in the March 25 special election for the open 36^th state Senate District seat vacated by Ryan Aument earlier this month, as reported by LNP | LancasterOnline. Parsons will face challenges from Democratic candidate James Andrew Malone, the mayor of East Petersburg, and Libertarian candidate Zachary Moore of Mount Joy.

Rep. Torren Ecker

Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland) announced his candidacy for a judgeship in Adams County, according to the Hanover Evening Sun. Ecker, a four-term incumbent, joins Reps. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) and Lou Schmitt (R-Blair), who have announced their candidacies for the bench in their respective counties. Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) is running for his county’s executive post.

Rep. Jamie Flick (R-Lycoming/Union) plans to introduce legislation that would allow camera use in courtrooms to video and audio record most civil and criminal proceedings. The proposed legislation would bar the recording of a child witness or an alleged sexual assault victim to protect their privacy.

In a memo, he said, “Cameras in courtrooms allow the public to observe legal proceedings firsthand, thereby promoting transparency and accountability within Pennsylvania’s judicial system. The presence of video cameras can also act as a deterrent against unethical behavior by participants of the legal process. Indeed, knowing that their actions are being observed by the public-at-large will discourage judges, attorneys, and witnesses from engaging in misconduct or improper behavior.”

A proposed House rule change from Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) would require lawmakers to post on their state websites the names of non-constituents with whom they met either in-person or virtually as well as the date and time of that meeting.

His memo states, “This is a good government initiative that will show the people of Pennsylvania that their elected officials in the House of Representatives value transparency.”

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie) wants to change the process for amending Pennsylvania’s constitution. He proposes an amendment be approved by two-thirds of the members in the House and in the Senate in each of the two consecutive legislative sessions before going to the voters for ratification. Currently, the constitution requires approval by a simple majority in each chamber.

In his memo, he said, “Changes to the state constitution, while sometimes necessary, require serious forethought, debate and participation from more than just a simple majority of elected officials.”

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) has introduced legislation that would require advertisements for or against a candidate or ballot question to identify clearly and conspicuously who authorized it. If an ad was paid for by a person or group not authorized by the candidate’s political committee or agent, the unauthorized individual or group must disclose the names of the five people making the largest contributions to their organization during the 12-month period before the date of the advertisement.

All state-level candidates running for an elective office would be required to submit results of a drug screening when they file their paperwork to get their names on the ballot under proposed legislation that Rep. John Lawrence (R-Chester) intends to reintroduce. His bill would apply to those running for a state legislative post, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor general, treasurer and judges and justices running for the Superior, Commonwealth and Supreme courts.

Rep. Matthew Gergely

Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) died Sunday after suffering a medical emergency over the holidays. He was 45 and is survived by his wife, Holly, and two sons, according to an AP story.

Gergely was first elected to the House in a 2023 special election and re-elected to a two-year term in 2024. Prior to serving in the House, he worked for many years in the McKeesport community, serving most recently as the city’s chief revenue officer.

His death leaves the lower chamber with a 101-101 partisan divide until a special election is held to fill the vacancy. House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) set March 25 as the date for a special election to be held to fill that vacancy. 

Pennsylvania Capitol

The race for the open 36^th state Senate seat is taking shape with two parties naming their nominees and Republicans planning to select their candidate this week.

Lancaster County Democrats chose East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone to be their nominee for the 36^th state Senate seat in the March 25 special election, according to LNP | LancasterOnline. The seat was vacated earlier this month by Republican Ryan Aument, who resigned to join U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick’s staff.

Republicans will select their nominee Jan. 25, according to LNP.

Seeking the GOP nomination in the Republican-leaning district are Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, state Rep. Brett Miller, high school teacher Steven Heffner and retired truck driver Brad Witmer.

The Libertarian Party named Zachary Moore, a geographic information system analyst from Mount Joy, as its nominee for the seat, according to WHTM.

Rep. Lisa Borowski

Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Delaware) has reintroduced legislation to require subscription service companies to provide for consumers to opt into extending a service rather than having to opt out of it.

Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) is proposing to offer another bill on this topic that is identical to a proposal Sen. Nick Pisciottano (D-Allegheny) intends to offer.  Their proposals would require companies to provide notification before an automatic renewal and allow subscribers to cancel a subscription online if they initially subscribed online.

L to R: Reps. Tom Kutz and Justin Fleming

Reps. Tom Kutz (R-Cumberland) and Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) plan to reintroduce legislation requiring the Pennsylvania Department of Education to create a comprehensive higher education comparison tool. It is intended to make it easier for students to compare higher education institutions’ programs of study, enrollment, cost, graduation and retention rates as well as identify high-priority occupations in Pennsylvania and their earnings potential.

Rep. Robert Merski

Legislation to require public authorities to make information about their board members accessible on a public website has been introduced by Rep. Robert Merski (D-Erie). It would require political subdivision authorities and all municipal authorities to post the name of each board member; length of his or her term, including start and expiration dates; the position each holds; and an email address for each member.

Meanwhile, Rep. David Zimmerman (R-Lancaster/Berks) plans to reintroduce legislation that would have voters elect members to a municipal authority with each member serving a six-year term.

Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) has introduced a proposed constitutional amendment to change Swearing-in Day for the General Assembly from the first Tuesday in January to the first day of December. In a memo to his colleagues, he wrote: “With legislative base salaries now set at roughly $110,000 per year, an idle General Assembly during the month of December in even-numbered years costs taxpayers at least $2.3 million … in member salaries alone.” Re-elected and newly elected lawmakers begin to earn their salaries Dec. 1.

Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) wants state agencies to return to having state employees available to speak to individuals calling a commonwealth agency. He has introduced legislation that would require agencies not to use a computer system or automated answering system that would impede a caller from speaking to a commonwealth employee.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) plans to introduce legislation requiring social media platforms and similar websites to remove nonconsensual and unauthorized intimate images within 48 hours of notification. It also would require these websites to provide a user-friendly webpage for victims of these images to submit a removal request.

The House remains with a 101-101 partisan divide as Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) has not yet been sworn in due to a medical issue. It remains unclear when he will be able to take the oath. Meanwhile, House Republican Rep. Lou Schmitt (R-Blair) joined Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) in announcing his plans to run for a county judgeship in this year’s election. Rep. Josh Siegel (D-Lehigh) said he is running for county executive. Read the Altoona Mirror for more on Schmitt’s announcement.

The Senate has a 27-22 partisan divide with one vacancy from Republican Sen. Ryan Aument’s departure from the 36^th District seat to be filled in a March 25 special election. Unofficial straw polls reported by LNP | LancasterOnline show Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons as the frontrunner over Rep. Brett Miller (R-Lancaster) for the Republican nomination. According to WHTM reports, school librarian Matthew Good and East Petersburg Mayor James Andrew Malone will compete for the Democratic nomination.

Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver) plans to offer a resolution recognizing March 16-22 as Sunshine Week in Pennsylvania. This week is meant to spark discussion about the importance of open government and access to public documents and meetings. This nonpartisan event coincides with James Madison’s birthday to promote openness and accountability in government.

Sen. Cris Dush

Rep. Tim Brennan

Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) announced his intention to refile legislation addressing government agencies’ concerns about individuals who file “burdensome” requests for information. His bill would allow an agency to petition the Office of Open Records for relief from so-called “vexatious requesters” and allow OOR to allow agencies to place a ban for up to a year on responding to that individual’s Right-to-Know Law requests.

Rep. Tim Brennan (D-Bucks) plans to introduce a bill that takes aim at vague record requests that his co-sponsor memo states can “lead to massive burdens that shut down government operations, undermine timely access for other (requesters), and create massive unfunded costs for an agency.”

Rep. Amen Brown (D-Philadelphia) plans to reintroduce legislation that directs law enforcement agencies using body cameras to develop official policies governing their use, access to and retention of recordings, and redactions to recordings. The bill offered in the last session, which never advanced out of committee, allowed for those recordings to be made public under certain limited conditions.

Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) reintroduced legislation to require the records on noncriminal investigations by the Fish & Boat Commission to be publicly accessible. In a memo about his bill, he cited concerns about the commission having authority to levy “significant fines,” but the actions of its investigators are not subject to the Right-to-Know Law. He said in his co-sponsor memo that by making these noncriminal investigatory records “subject to public request we would help ensure that the commission is acting appropriately.”  

Interior of the Pennsylvania Capitol Building

Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices would run for re-election every four years under a proposed constitutional amendment that Sen. Michele Brooks (R-Crawford/Lawrence/Mercer) plans to introduce. Currently, justices serve a 10-year term and then run for retention every 10 years.

Another proposed constitutional change that Rep. Stephanie Borowicz (R-Clinton/Union) wants on the table would return Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to a part-time legislature with a firm deadline for adjournment. In her co-sponsor memo, she said this would reduce costs, encourage more Pennsylvanians to run for office or advocate before the legislature.

In December, Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata) announced his intention to offer legislation calling for a Legislative Budget and Finance study of this issue.

Sen. Michele Brooks is also proposing to reintroduce legislation that would require the Public Utility Commission to establish a centralized, searchable database of utility rates. She said the agency has the data now but requires users to look it up on a case-by-case basis. Making a one-stop database shop “only makes sense,” Brooks said in the co-sponsor memo.

Proposed legislation Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Adams/Franklin) intends to refile would require public-sector unions to provide quarterly reports to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board detailing union officers and employee salaries, salary increases, and travel expenses incurred in the quarter, as well as political-related expenditures. The agency would post those reports on a publicly accessible website.

Rep. Joe Webster (D-Montgomery) plans to offer legislation that would provide more transparency and accountability to corporate spending on elections through undisclosed sources referred to as “dark money.” It would require credit card statements to be filed with campaign finance reports; ban the purchase of gift cards with political-action committee money; place limits on donations and expenditures to and from candidates; and require funds left in terminated PACs to be donated to a nonprofit that has no affiliation with a candidate or PAC officer.

Rep. Matthew Gergely

Speaker Joanna McClinton

House Republican Leader Jesse Topper

Tuesday was Swearing-in Day for the General Assembly, kicking off the 2025-26 legislative session. The House swore in 202 members, including 16 freshmen (five Democrats and 11 Republicans).

Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-Allegheny) wasn’t able to be sworn in, the lawmaker was absent due to a health issue that arose over the holidays that sent him to the hospital. That presented a temporary tie when the chamber went to elect a speaker with incumbent Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia) and House Republican Leader Jesse Topper (R-Bedford/Fulton) each receiving 101 votes. Topper then withdrew himself from consideration, clearing the way for McClinton via voice vote to be re-elected speaker.

The disruption that an absent member can have in a narrowly divided chamber may resurface again this session. Two House Democrats have announced their intention to seek a county office in this year’s elections.  Rep. Dan Miller of Allegheny County and Rep. Josh Siegel of Lehigh County plan to run for a county judgeship and county executive position, respectively.

In the upper chamber, 25 senators including three new members (one Democrat and two Republicans) took the oath of office, joining 24 colleagues who are in the middle of four-year terms. Sen. Kim Ward was re-elected as Senate president pro tempore. One vacancy exists in the Senate due to Republican Ryan Aument’s recent resignation from the 36^th District that leaves the chamber with a 27-22 Republican majority. Lt. Gov. Austin Davis has set March 25 as the date when the special election will be held to fill that seat.

Sen. Cris Dush (R-Cameron/Centre/Clinton/Elk/Jefferson/McKean/Potter) plans to reintroduce a bill that would make the intentional destruction or alteration of documents subject to the Right-to-Know Law a third-degree felony. Currently, this is not a criminal offense. The bill passed out of the Senate State Government Committee, which Dush chaired, in the last session. Read his co-sponsor memo.

Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) signaled her intention to reintroduce legislation to require all public notices posted in newspapers of general circulation to include the cost of the advertisement that government entities incurred. She introduced this measure last session but the bill never made it out of committee. Read her co-sponsor memo here.

Proposed legislation that Rep. Dan Williams (D-Philadelphia) intends to reintroduce would allow county commissioners to meet remotely under any circumstance without a requirement for commissioners to be physically present to establish a quorum. This bill didn’t advance out of the House Local Government Committee in the last legislative session.

A co-sponsor memo from Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Lawrence/Butler) indicates his desire to impose more transparency and accountability requirements on the four state-related universities (Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple and Lincoln). His three-bill package would expand the financial information they are required to make publicly available; limit the number of trustees; and require trustees and other high-level university employees to be subject to the requirements of the state’s Ethics Act including annually filing Statements of Financial Interest. 

Sen. Lisa Boscola

Sen. Devlin Robinson

Candidates running for public office who are late in filing their campaign finance reports would face a stiffer financial penalty under proposed legislation to be offered by Sens. Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) and Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny). As stated in their memo, “These reports are the primary means by which the public sees how candidates are being funded” and by whom. Their proposal would raise the fine from its current maximum of $250 to setting that amount as the upfront penalty with an additional $20 for each day past the filing deadline.

Rep. Tarah Probst (D-Monroe/Pike) intends to reintroduce legislation that would require the state auditor general to audit all cyber charter schools, cyber management companies, and other entities that operate cyber charter schools to ensure that state funds are being used properly and fairly. This bill died in the House Education Committee last session. 

Sen. John Kane (D-Chester/Delaware) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will introduce a bill that would create a publicly available database of certified payrolls for public works projects. The state Department of Labor and Industry would host the website.

Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) intends to file legislation that would prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars in sexual harassment cases and other personal lawsuit settlements involving upper-level staff, advisers and officials when they are responsible for conduct occurring beyond the scope of employment by or for the state. Read the memo here.

In a co-sponsor memo, Reps. Justin Fleming (D-Dauphin) and Thomas Kutz (R-Cumberland) said they plan to introduce a bill that would protect the privacy of individuals who support 501(c) nonprofit organizations. The legislation, according to the memo, is designed to shield supporters of various causes from retaliation as it relates to issues such as employment or personal safety.

Sen. Patrick Stefano (R-Bedford/Fayette/Somerset/Westmoreland) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will reintroduce last session’s SB 128, legislation that would require school districts and intermediate units to publicly post the terms of job offers extended to a prospective superintendent, assistant/associate superintendent or principal. Postings on district websites would be required to include salary and contract length.

Stefano indicated he will also re-introduce last session’s SB 399,  which would require public notice prior to signing collective bargaining agreements. Read the co-sponsor memo here. He said in another memo that he will refile the bipartisan SB 163 from last session. The legislation would require all House and Senate committee meetings and hearings to be streamed (when possible), recorded and publicly posted. Additionally, he will re-introduce SB 108 from the 2023-2024 session. As he notes in his co-sponsor memo, the legislation would require counties to submit campaign contribution reports to the Department of State for posting on its public website.

Sen. Jarrett Coleman (R-Lehigh/Bucks) said in a co-sponsor memo he will refile legislation to amend the Crime Victims Act for next-of-kin notification by requiring law enforcement to make “reasonable efforts’’ to ensure a homicide victim’s family has been notified before publicly identifying the individual. SB 893 received bipartisan support last session. PNA has talked with the senator and his staff about newsroom procedures and the care news organizations routinely take in reporting crime information to the public.

Rep. Seth Grove (R-York) said in a co-sponsor memo that he will file a bill requiring agencies to provide the Pennsylvania Treasury Department with a copy of any contract involving $10,000 or more along with a summary of the contract. The department may be empowered to delay or reject requests for payments from noncompliant agencies.

In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Clint Owlett (R-Tioga/Bradford) said he will reintroduce last session’s HB 80 to amend the Right-to-Know Law to allow the request of records created by Fish and Boat Commission noncriminal investigations.

State Sen. Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster) will leave the upper chamber at the beginning of the year to become state director for Republican Pennsylvania U.S. Sen.-elect Dave McCormick. Aument, majority whip, has served in the state Senate for nearly 10 years and before that for two terms in the state House. His resignation will prompt a special election to fill the remainder of his term, which continues through 2026. Read more about his departure from the General Assembly in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Ben Waxman (D-Philadelphia) announced plans to reintroduce legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s media shield law to cover all records, information, and documents created or acquired by journalists in their professional duties. PNA is working with the legislator on this legislation.

Rep. Jared Solomon (D-Philadelphia) and Rep. Thomas Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) plan to sponsor a bill that would establish an independent congressional redistricting commission. Members would represent the Democratic and Republican parties as well as unaffiliated voters. Read the co-sponsor memo here.

Sen. Lisa Baker

Rep. Milou Mackenzie

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick

L to R: Reps. Jared Solomon and Malcolm Kenyatta

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) said in a co-sponsor memo she will introduce a bill that would require individuals or groups making an independent expenditure for political advertising to disclose their top five contributors.

The lawmaker also plans to refile legislation from last session that would allow Pennsylvania Lottery prizewinners to remain anonymous. To protect winner privacy, Baker’s legislation would make a winner’s municipality and county of residence public information. An individual could choose whether to publicly disclose his or her name and other identifying information. Here is the co-sponsor memo.

Rep. Milou Mackenzie (R-Northampton/Lehigh/Montgomery) plans to reintroduce a bill that would require the state Department of Education to annually post online the endowments of state higher education institutions. Read the co-sponsor memo.

Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-Berks/Montgomery) indicated she will reintroduce last session’s SB 196, which would establish a searchable database, similar to PENNWATCH, providing detailed information on the revenues and expenses of school districts, charter and cyber charter schools, and vocational-technical schools. Here is the co-sponsor memo.

Philadelphia Democratic Reps. Jared Solomon and Malcolm Kenyatta said in a co-sponsor memo that they will introduce a House resolution to require the amount of money appropriated to members for expense reimbursements to be published on a publicly accessible website managed and maintained by the Office of the Chief Clerk. The postings would include expenses relating to travel and lodging, administrative services, office rent, food and beverages.

Rep. Scott Conklin (D-Centre) and Rep. Christopher Rabb (D-Philadelphia) said in a co-sponsor memo that they will file legislation that would require consumers to be notified of a seller’s automatic renewal clause before executing a contract and prior to an automatic renewal.  A seller would also be required to notify consumers if the contract is sold and allow them to opt out of the automatic renewal provision.

L to R: Sen. Vincent Hughes and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill

Rep. Stephenie Scialabba

Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) and Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill (R-York) plan to reintroduce last session’s SB 22, legislation that would, among other things, require parental or legal guardian consent for anyone under age 16 to open a social media account, prohibit data mining for any user under age 18, and provide parents or legal guardians with the ability to initiate account supervision. Here is the co-sponsor memo.

In addition, Rep. Stephenie Scialabba (R-Butler) plans to introduce the Kids Online Safety Act. Among other things, the bill would establish procedures for online platforms to follow to prevent harm to minors, provide protections for privacy and other safeguards and controls for minors and parents, mandate that platforms establish the most protective control levels as a default setting for minors’ accounts, and include provisions for algorithmic transparency. Read the co-sponsor memo here.

In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Perry Stambaugh (R-Perry/Juniata) said he will file legislation directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct or contract for a study to evaluate the issues on whether the state Constitution should be amended to return the General Assembly to part-time status (no more than 120 session days a year).

Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) said in a co-sponsor memo that she will introduce legislation that would propose a constitutional amendment giving victims of childhood sexual assault a two-year window to pursue civil lawsuits against their abusers. In 2020 an effort regarding a ballot question on the issue was stopped after the Pennsylvania Department of State failed to advertise the proposed amendment properly.

Several House Democrats announced plans to refile legislation that would seal eviction records. Reps. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, of Lancaster County, and Elizabeth Fiedler, Jordan Harris and Rick Krajewski, all of Philadelphia County, announced in a co-sponsor memo that a statewide eviction record-sealing policy would protect tenants from discrimination and long-term housing insecurity. Read the co-sponsor memo here.

In a co-sponsor memo, Rep. Joe Ciresi (D-Montgomery) said he will reintroduce HB 116, a bill he sponsored last session that would have amended the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Act by requiring companies to provide a notification before each automatic renewal, to be transparent about renewal terms, and to allow subscribers to cancel subscription services exclusively online if they initially subscribed over the internet. HB 116 passed the House unanimously.

Rep. Russ Diamond (R-Lebanon) wants to ban candidates from seeking two public offices at the same time. Read his co-sponsor memo here. In another memo, Diamond said he will also introduce a joint resolution that would change the Legislature’s swearing-in day from the first Tuesday in January to the start of the new session, Dec. 1.

Less than one week into the new legislative session, re-elected Rep. Dan Miller (D-Allegheny) announced Wednesday that he is a candidate for judge of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Miller, of Mount Lebanon, was first elected to the state House in 2013. 

Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-Franklin/Adams) announced in a co-sponsor memo that he plans to refile last session’s SB 231, public notice legislation sponsored by Dauphin County’s retired Sen. John DiSanto that did not advance in the upper chamber. The memo said Flexibility for Local Government and Advertising and Notice Requirements would allow counties, municipalities, and school districts to advertise public notices either electronically or in printed format by choosing from a menu of options. PNA opposes legislation that would remove public notice advertising from newspapers and its platforms.

Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to lead the annual tree-lighting ceremony in the Main Capitol Rotunda at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The 22-foot Douglas fir is among trees throughout the Capitol Complex provided by Crystal Spring Tree Farm in East Lehighton, Carbon County. The tree will be decorated with LED lights, along with ornaments from Department of Aging senior centers and Pre-K for PA students.

Last week at the state Capitol Gov. Josh Shapiro hosted a ceremonial signing of the anti-SLAPP (strategic lawsuits against public participation) bill that passed the General Assembly this session and which he approved in July. PNA Media Law Counsel Melissa Melewsky represented our association at the ceremony, which was also attended by the legislation sponsor, Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie). Formerly HB 1466, Act 72 of 2024 is essential in the protection of all Pennsylvanians’ First Amendment freedoms. PNA has actively advocated for this law for more than a decade. For more information, visit speakfreepa.org.

The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus re-elected Sen. Jay Costa of Allegheny County as its leader for the 2025-2026 legislative session. Other members of the Democratic leadership team are Sens. Christine Tartaglione (Philadelphia), caucus whip; Vincent Hughes (Montgomery/Philadelphia), appropriations committee chair; Maria Collett (Montgomery), caucus chair; Steve Santarsiero (Bucks), caucus secretary; Nick Miller (Lehigh/Northampton), policy committee chair; and Judy Schwank (Berks), administrator.

“The county may deny access to a record if the requester has made repeated requests for the same record and the requested requests have placed an unreasonable burden on the agency.”

 _{– A stipulation in the nine-page Right-to-Know policy newly adopted by Lawrence County commissioners as reported by the New Castle News. Inspired in part by the volume of RTK requests, the policy will address what the assistant solicitor said averages at least three requests weekly.}

“These SLAPP suits weaponize the system to penalize protest and silence free speech.”

_{— Rep. Ryan Bizzarro (D-Erie), quoted in Spotlight PA last week after the governor signed into law Bizzarro’s bill to protect journalists and other Pennsylvanians from strategic lawsuits against public participation.}

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.