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House passes Sappey bill to increase clarity, transparency in proposed township ordinances

(Apr 29, 2026) Rep. Christina Sappey

HARRISBURG, April 29 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation ( H.B. 2179 ) introduced by state Rep. Christina Sappey that would clarify what subjects must be included in the public notices of proposed ordinances for second class townships. Sappey serves on the House Local Government Committee and introduced the bill after learning about a shade tree ordinance that was overturned in Lancaster County because of ambiguous language in the public notice. Sappey's bill would clarify what subjects must be included in the brief summary of an advertised proposed ordinance. The summary would need to include a description of the following, as applicable: An adoption, amendment or repeal of a tax, fee, charge or assessment. An adoption, amendment or repeal of a regulation that provides for an offense or civil or criminal penalty. A provision or covenant that provides for the payment or disbursement of funds for goods, services or contractual obligation; restricts funds to a specific purpose or obligation; or pledges funds for a specific purpose or obligation. “This legislation also would require advertisements to include references to the township office where copies of the proposed ordinance may be viewed, and to the publicly accessible website where the full text of the ordinance may be viewed, if one exists,” Sappey said. “If a summary meets the obligations outlined Read more

Legislation to expand event permits statewide introduced in PA House

(Apr 29, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 29 – As Pennsylvania prepares for a busy tourism season, including major celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary, recognition of the anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, and hosting several World Cup games, state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, has introduced legislation that would allow all municipalities across Pennsylvania to expand their event permits during this period. The bill, H.B. 2471 , would replicate on a statewide level similar bipartisan legislation, Act 8 of 2026 , which allows bars in Philadelphia to continue serving alcohol until 4 a.m. from June 11 to July 20, 2026. Act 8 was signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro two weeks after being introduced. “Between the World Cup and America 250 celebrations, southeastern Pennsylvania alone is expected to generate $2 billion to $3 billion,” said Cepeda-Freytiz, “However, tourism will not just be contained in Philadelphia – tourists will be visiting World Cup Fan Zones in Reading, Scranton and Pittsburgh, while also visiting landmarks such as Valley Forge and Gettysburg. “If we are providing one municipality with the tools to expand its local economy, I believe every municipality should be able to prime their local events and businesses accordingly. We are set for a tourism season that will welcome hundreds of thousands of visitors, so we should act to provide the greatest experience that every part of Read more

House Education Committee advances Steele bill to restrict cell phones in schools

(Apr 28, 2026) Rep. Mandy Steele

The bill would prohibit students in public schools from using or possessing a cell phone during the school day. Students would be required to secure their phones in a way that prevents access until the end of the day, with exceptions for certain emergency and medical needs approved by school authorities. Read more

Legislation to prevent white nationalist housing communities in Pa., including Fairness Act protections, passes Pa. House and heads to Senate

(Apr 28, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 28 – A bill to block the creation of whites-only housing communities in Pennsylvania passed the state House today 101-100. House Bill 2103, introduced earlier this year by Rep. Ben Waxman, D-Phila., is a direct response to efforts by extremist groups to exploit legal loopholes and create segregated communities. The legislation comes after the Return to the Land organization reportedly formed a whites-only community in Arkansas and has expressed intentions to expand to Pennsylvania and other states. Waxman’s bill would prevent any organization from discriminating against protected groups under the guise of being a private club or member-only organization, closing loopholes that could enable exclusionary housing practices. In addition, the bill was amended by Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Phila., to incorporate provisions known as the “Fairness Act,” significantly strengthening Pennsylvania’s anti-discrimination laws by updating the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. The amendment would explicitly add protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression in employment, housing and public accommodations. “This has always been simple: Pennsylvania is better when it’s fairer,” Kenyatta said. “For too long certain Pennsylvanians, particularly those in the LGBTQ community have had to look over their shoulders. Wondering if at any moment Read more

Smith-Wade-El legislation to end the criminalization of homelessness in PA reported out of committee

(Apr 28, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 28 – The PA House of Representatives took a step toward decriminalizing homelessness in Pennsylvania by reporting state Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El’s Shelter First Act ( H.B. 2028 ) out of the House Judiciary Committee on Monday. Smith-Wade-El’s Shelter First Act legislation would allow people experiencing homelessness to conduct life-sustaining activities in public spaces when no reasonable alternative options for housing are offered or available. Municipalities would be required to provide adequate indoor spaces for people experiencing homelessness before they could enforce any ordinance that criminalizes living outside. State Sen. Nikil Saval, D-Phila., has introduced a companion bill in the state Senate. Smith-Wade-El’s advocacy grew out of his experiences managing a homeless shelter in Lancaster. “Many of the shelter’s residents had jobs they went to day after day but still were struggling to find a home of their own thanks to low wages, rising inflation, and an affordable housing crisis—a perfect storm,” Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, said. “The criminalization of the unhoused will not solve the homelessness issue in our commonwealth. Instead, it will exacerbate it by plunging these vulnerable people into a never-ending cycle of heavy fines, arrests, and incarceration. It’s a tax on being poor. “Jailing our unhoused population is a losing proposition for everyone, as it Read more

Guzman bill to provide digital vehicle registration passes PA House

(Apr 27, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 27 – State Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks, today announced the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed his legislation to give Pennsylvania drivers the option to carry a digital vehicle registration card on their smartphone or device. Guzman said this legislation would bring Pennsylvania into the 21st Century by modernizing a system that has fallen behind the realities of today's digital world. Since 2016, PennDOT has required drivers who renew online to print their own registration card at home — a burden for the many low-income households that cannot afford a printer and the growing number of homes that have gone paperless. "As our world continues to go digital, it is only fair that Pennsylvania drivers have the option to carry their vehicle registration on their device, just as they do with so many other important documents," he said. "In 2013, Pennsylvania allowed drivers to carry digital insurance cards — this bill extends that same common sense convenience to registration cards," he added. "I look forward to seeing this bill cross the finish line. This is a practical, common sense measure that will make life easier for Pennsylvania drivers across the commonwealth." House Bill 2210 now heads to the Senate for consideration. Read more

House Judiciary Committee Advances Key Criminal Justice, Public Safety Measures

(Apr 27, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 27 – State Rep. Tim Briggs, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, today announced that several significant pieces of legislation have been approved by the committee and now move to the full House of Representatives for further consideration. “These bills reflect thoughtful efforts to address critical issues facing our justice system and our communities,” Briggs said. “From ensuring fairness and dignity under the law to protecting public safety and encouraging people to act in emergencies, the committee’s work demonstrates a commitment to practical, compassionate policy.” House Bill 99 (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Rabb, D-Phila.) and H.B. 888 (Sponsored by Rep. Russ Diamond, R-Lebanon) would abolish the death penalty in Pennsylvania for defendants who have not yet been sentenced, aligning the Commonwealth with the 23 states that have already ended capital punishment and addressing longstanding concerns about wrongful convictions, high costs and its lack of effectiveness as a deterrent. “I appreciate my colleagues on this committee for standing up to injustice,” Rabb said. “The risks of continuing the death penalty in the Commonwealth far outweigh the benefits, of which there are few, if any. It is an ineffective crime deterrent that costs tremendous resources to uphold in Pennsylvania, and we have used it to end lives of those who turned out to be innocent. There Read more

Committee advances Conklin bill to improve housing affordability, availability

(Apr 27, 2026) Rep. Scott Conklin

HARRISBURG, April 27 – The state House Commerce Committee today advanced legislation introduced by state Rep. Scott Conklin that would help address rising home prices and shrinking inventory in Pennsylvania’s housing market by discouraging “house flipping” by investors. Conklin, who is Majority chair of the committee, said he introduced H.B. 2391 to deter a practice that is inflating values in Pennsylvania’s housing market and making it difficult for regular consumers to compete. “House flipping—when investors buy houses to fix them up and sell them for a quick profit—is driving up home prices and reducing inventory, making it increasingly difficult for buyers and renters to find affordable properties,” Conklin said. “An important way we can discourage this is by allowing mortgage lenders to offer investors the option of better terms if they accept prepayment penalties. Doing so would deter house flipping and encourage long-term investments, which in turn would help stabilize prices and increase available housing for both buyers and renters. “Unfortunately, Pennsylvania is one of a minority of states that does not allow mortgage lenders to offer competitive mortgage terms through prepayment penalties on investment property. My bill would change that by allowing lenders to offer investors the option of choosing financing terms with or without a Read more

Environmental hazardous spill cleanup bill approved by House committee

(Apr 27, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, April 27 – State Rep. Perry Warren today announced that his legislation to strengthen Pennsylvania’s response to hazardous substance releases was reported out of the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee. House Bill 2178 , also known as the Environmental Clean Up and Responsibility Act, would require immediate action when hazardous substances are released, including mandatory containment, investigation and cleanup. The text of the legislation was drafted by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who introduced the companion bill in the Senate, S.B. 1157 . The bill is rooted in the ongoing experience of residents in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, where private wells in a residential neighborhood were contaminated by a leak from an interstate pipeline transporting jet fuel from Delaware County to Newark, N.J. A resident first detected a fuel smell in their drinking water more than two years ago, but the leak was not acknowledged by the pipeline operator until January 2025. Federal and state agencies, local officials and the pipeline’s corporate operator have responded. However, in the absence of clear statutory timelines, guidance and cleanup requirements, much of the contaminated fuel remains in the ground, and water and soil have not been fully remediated. Currently, Pennsylvania relies on two primary cleanup statutes: the Hazardous Sites Read more

Chairman Harris, Rep. Fiedler join medical experts and advocates to highlight vaccine education

(Apr 23, 2026) Rep. Jordan A. Harris, Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler

House Appropriations Chairman Jordan Harris and Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, both D-Phila, spoke at the South Philadelphia location of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia alongside doctors, medical leaders, and community health advocates about the importance of childhood vaccinations. The event was held in advance of 2026’s World Immunization Week, a project led by the World Health Organization that aims to highlight the need for collective action and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease. Read more

House adopts Matzie resolution designating April 2026 as ‘Limb Loss Awareness Month’ in Pennsylvania

(Apr 23, 2026) Rep. Robert F. Matzie

HARRISBURG, April 23 – The Pennsylvania House last week adopted state Rep. Rob Matzie’s resolution designating April 2026 as “Limb Loss Awareness Month” in Pennsylvania. Matzie said he introduced H.R. 404 – which the House adopted by an overwhelming bipartisan majority on April 15 – to foster greater awareness about the multiple challenges faced by people who have lost a limb and those with a limb that is anatomically different in size, shape or structure compared to “typical” limbs. “According to a recent study commissioned by the Amputee Coalition, there are more than 5.6 million people in the United States living with limb loss or limb difference,” said Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus. “Many of them successfully navigate jobs, household duties and family and social responsibilities despite multiple physical, psychological, financial and logistical challenges. I introduced this resolution to honor their courage and resilience.” Matzie said he also introduced H.R. 404 to help people understand that the main cause of limb loss is preventable. “People often associate limb amputations with traumatic injuries, but in fact the main cause is vascular disease, including diabetes and peripheral artery disease,” Matzie said. “That means that limb loss is preventable in many cases through the right lifestyle changes to address Read more

Consumers saved from another rate hike during affordability crisis

(Apr 22, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

“Our responsibility is to ensure that utility rates are fair, justified and sustainable —because at the end of the day, these decisions impact every household and every employer in our communities,” said Rep. Morgan Cephas, who represents portions of Philadelphia and co-hosted the hearing. “We need transparency, accountability and a clear understanding of what’s driving these increases—and what can be done to protect workers, working families and seniors.” Read more

Burns introduces bill to restrict decisions by PBMs

(Apr 21, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

With a local pharmacy battling a giant third-party administrator over its ability to fill prescriptions, state Rep. Frank Burns has introduced a bill that would ensure more people can obtain medications from qualified pharmacies by preventing administrators from restricting which pharmacies can fill Medicaid prescriptions. Read more

Brewers, farmers would be helped by tax credit examined by Policy Committee

(Apr 21, 2026) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

“The Brews to Barns Act turns waste into opportunity,” Bizzarro said. “By connecting brewers with local farms, we reduce waste, strengthen our agricultural economy, and help local businesses lift each other up. This bill is an opportunity to help Pennsylvania brewers and farmers during a difficult economic time.” Read more