Dear Friends,
While a number of bills moved through committees and the House this week, I want to highlight several measures focused on protecting consumers. House Democrats remain committed to putting people ahead of profits and holding corporations accountable. This week, two bills I co-sponsored passed the House, while three of my own bills advanced through the committee process.
The House also continued its work to address the rapid expansion of data centers in Pennsylvania. In addition to the legislation we have already sent to the Senate, we passed several bills this week, with significant bipartisan support, that would strengthen local control, increase transparency, and establish stronger safeguards to protect communities from some of the more harmful impacts of data center development.
Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman has indicated that he is unwilling to take up this issue. Despite broad bipartisan consensus in the House, the Senate has thus far declined to consider meaningful reforms. Given the potential impacts on energy costs, water resources, and local communities, I believe this issue deserves serious attention and action and that the Senate's failure to act is a disservice to all of us. Should you share my concerns please reach out to Senator Pittman at (717) 787-8724.
I will discuss these data center bills in greater detail in a future weekly email.
Protecting Ratepayers
I was proud to co-sponsor and vote for House Bill 2224, the Return on Equity Act, which represents an important step toward putting consumers ahead of excessive corporate profits. Utility companies are making record profits while many Pennsylvanians struggle with rising electric, gas, and water bills.
One of the biggest drivers of these increases is the return on equity, or ROE, that the profit shareholders are guaranteed through the ratemaking process. Pennsylvania utilities receive some of the highest ROE rates in the nation, and every extra dollar paid to shareholders comes directly from households and small businesses.
House Bill 2224 would modernize the way these profits are calculated and ensure that customers pay only what is necessary to provide safe and reliable service, not inflated returns that boost stock prices. The legislation does not reduce investments in infrastructure, workers, or reliability, but reins in unnecessary costs that are driving up bills.
By bringing utility profits more in line with market realities, this measure could save the average Pennsylvania household about $150 annually. As Governor Shapiro has said, Pennsylvanians should pay what is absolutely necessary for safe and reliable service, and not a penny more.
Stopping Scam Texts
Pennsylvanians have increasingly been targeted by fraudulent text messages posing as government agencies. These scams falsely claim recipients owe unpaid fees, fines, or tolls and threaten consequences unless immediate payment is made through fake websites. Too often, these schemes have succeeded in stealing financial and personal information.
That is why I was proud to co-sponsor House Bill 2551, introduced by Rep. Mary Isaacson, which passed the House unanimously. The bill establishes a clear rule: Commonwealth agencies should not use text messages to notify residents about or collect unpaid fines, fees, or tolls.
At a time when scammers are becoming more sophisticated, government should not create confusion by using the same communication methods employed by bad actors. Pennsylvanians deserve the certainty that any text message claiming to be from a state agency demanding payment is fraudulent. House Bill 2551 creates that bright line and helps ensure government communications remain clear and trustworthy.
Cryptocurrency Protections
As technology evolves, so do the tactics used by scammers. That is why I was pleased that House Bill 2643, which I am proud to sponsor with Rep. Joe Ciresi, passed the House Commerce Committee by a 16-10 vote.
Cryptocurrency kiosks, commonly known as crypto ATMs, have become an increasingly popular tool for fraudsters targeting seniors and other vulnerable Pennsylvanians. I have received far too many calls from constituents who have been devastated after losing thousands of dollars through these scams.
There are more than 30,000 cryptocurrency kiosks nationwide, including an estimated 1,400 in Pennsylvania. According to the FBI, consumers reported nearly $389 million in losses related to crypto kiosk scams in 2025. In Pennsylvania alone, 518 complaints resulted in more than $14.4 million in reported losses, though the true amount is likely much higher because many victims never report these crimes. In my experience, many victims who contact my office have not even reported the scam to law enforcement.
House Bill 2643 would bring accountability and transparency to this rapidly growing industry. The bill would require operators to be licensed and regulated by the Department of Banking and Securities, establish transaction and fee limits, require identity verification and scam warnings, provide live customer support, and ensure consumers receive detailed receipts.
Importantly, the bill would also provide avenues for recourse by allowing new users to cancel transactions within 72 hours and requiring refunds for victims who promptly report fraud. By establishing commonsense safeguards, we can better protect Pennsylvanians from financial exploitation while supporting responsible innovation in the digital economy.
Protecting Babies
Two of my bills also advanced unanimously through the House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee.
In 2021, a congressional oversight report found concerning levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, and mercury in baby foods sold in the United States. These heavy metals are neurotoxins that can impair brain development and have lifelong consequences. The report found that manufacturers relied on inconsistent internal standards and, in some cases, sold products exceeding even those limits. Despite years of discussion, federal action has been slow.
That is why I have spent the last several years working to strengthen protections for infants and toddlers. I was pleased that the committee unanimously approved House Bill 507, which would require the Department of Agriculture to test representative samples of baby food manufactured in Pennsylvania and provide parents with information about toxic heavy metal levels. Parents should not have to rely solely on industry self-policing when children's health is at stake.
I was equally pleased that the committee unanimously approved House Bill 550, which would prohibit bisphenol A, or BPA, in infant food and beverage containers. BPA is an endocrine-disrupting chemical linked to developmental, reproductive, behavioral, and metabolic concerns. Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies and brains are still developing.
House Bill 550 would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution of infant food and beverage containers containing BPA above 0.1 parts per billion. It also requires manufacturers to use the least toxic alternatives and prevents replacing BPA with chemicals known to be carcinogenic or harmful to reproductive and developmental health. In other words, we are not solving one problem by creating another.
Countries around the world and the European Union have already restricted BPA in baby bottles and similar products, and manufacturers have largely transitioned to safer alternatives. Parents should not have to wonder whether their child's bottle contains a harmful chemical or whether the food they feed their children contains toxic heavy metals.
Together, these measures reflect a simple principle: consumers deserve transparency, corporations should be accountable, and Pennsylvania families should have confidence that the products they purchase are safe. I am grateful for the bipartisan support these measures received and look forward to continuing the fight for stronger consumer protections.
I am also proud to share that my equine health bill, House Bill 2555, passed the House and now moves to the Senate. The legislation is especially timely given the emerging threat posed by the New World screwworm. I will continue to keep you updated as these and other bills move through the legislative process.