We turned the calendar to October, but this week felt more like June. Session days are busy days, given that there aren’t very many of them between now and the end of the legislative session. Both the House of Representatives and the Senate were in Harrisburg this week, giving us plenty of committee and floor action to report.
On Monday, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee held a public hearing on HB 2323 (Venkat, D-Allegheny). This bill would provide timelines to process Medical Assistance applications when an older adult needs assistance to cover the cost of long-term care. It would also allow providers to receive a portion of their reimbursement while the application is pending.
The House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee met to consider HB 2561 (Howard, D-Chester), which would give the Pennsylvania Horse Racing Commission additional time to act on temporary regulations pending the outcome of litigation related to federal horseracing safety standards.
The House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities Committee had a full slate. They reported out two bills amending the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law related to subscription services: HB 116 (Ciresi, D-Montgomery) and HB 2557 (Borowski, D-Delaware) as well as HB 1578 (Mullins, D-Lackawanna), which would require mandatory training and certification for retail electric and natural gas suppliers and their sales representatives.
While those bills await further action in the House, the committee also sent two bills to the floor that were fast tracked for final passage and sent to the Senate for consideration. HB 1077 (Matzie, D-Beaver), which would reauthorize and make changes to Title 66 (Public Utilities) Chapter 14 (Responsible Utility Consumer Protection); and HB 2189 (Matzie, D-Beaver), which would reauthorize and update the Underground Utility Line Protection Law (PA One Call). Both bills are set to sunset at the end of this year and have been referred to the Senate Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee.
SB 801 (Aument, R-Lancaster) advanced out of the House Education Committee. The bill would require school entities to implement comprehensive, evidence-based reading curricula for students in grades K-3, including screening, intervention, and professional development.
The House Insurance Committee reported out several health care-related bills:
- HB 2562 (Frankel, D-Allegheny), which would prohibit insurers from imposing annual and lifetime limits on medical care costs;
- HB 2563 (Pashinski, D-Luzerne), which would codify the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision that allows individuals to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until the age of 26; and
- HB 2564 (Haddock, D-Luzerne), which would codify into state law the ACA provision that prohibits insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
Finally, the House concurred in Senate amendments to HB 2328 (Harris, D-Philadelphia). The bill authorizes $1.395 billion in debt for capital projects in the current fiscal year. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on Wednesday.
Moving to Tuesday, public hearings looked toward the future: the House Republican Policy Committee heard testimony from PJM regarding the current state of energy generation in the Commonwealth; the House Insurance Committee held a public hearing on regulating the use of Artificial Intelligence in health insurance claims processes; and the Senate Transportation Committee held a hearing on how to improve the state’s infrastructure and transportation networks.
The House Commerce Committee reported out SB 667 (Robinson, R-Allegheny), which would allow certain charitable organizations to accept electronic payments for the purchase of raffle tickets. The committee also reported out HB 2535 (Mullins, D-Lackawanna), which establishes the “Right-to-Repair” legislation. The bill requires that manufacturers of electronics and appliances with embedded software to provide consumers and independent repair shops with the necessary information and parts to repair these devices.
The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee reported out SB 211 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would mandate owners of solar facilities on leased property to provide a plan for the decommissioning of the facility after it stops producing electricity.
The House Finance Committee met to consider several bills, including:
- HB 1994 (Briggs, D-Montgomery) and SB 1051 (Hutchinson, R-Venango), which would make changes to the Board of Finance and Revenue’s appeals process to improve efficiency and transparency;
- HB 2536 (Sappey, D-Chester), which would amend the Pennsylvania Constitution to permit counties to establish Longtime Owner-Occupant Programs (LOOP), allowing homeowners who have lived in their homes for at least 10 years to be exempt from or defer property tax increases, even if their home assessments rise; and
- HB 2565 (Samuelson, D-Northampton), which would update the Semiconductor Manufacturing Tax Credit Program by expanding eligibility to businesses by lowering the minimum investment amount and the number of jobs created necessary to take advantage of the program.
The House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee reported out three bills focused on the impact of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on firefighting equipment:
- HB 1541 (Harkins, D-Erie), which would prohibit the distribution, manufacture, sale, or offering for sale of firefighting personal protective equipment containing intentionally added PFAS starting January 1, 2028;
- HB 1571 (Scott, D-Philadelphia), which would mandate warning labels on products containing PFAS; and
- SB 144 (Yaw, R-Lycoming), which would prohibit the use or discharge of Class B firefighting foam containing intentionally added PFAS for testing or training purposes.
On the House floor, two bills passed finally and head to the Senate for consideration. The companion bills address the issue of supervision of physician assistants (PA). Like doctors, PAs are licensed under the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act or the Medial Practice Act, and under current law, must be supervised by a doctor licensed under the same act. HB 2294 (Venkat, D-Allegheny) and HB 2295 (Venkat, D-Allegheny), would allow a PA licensed under either act to be supervised by a doctor licensed under either act.
Meanwhile in the Senate, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee reported out two bills: HB 2378 (Abney, D-Allegheny), which would exclude savings bond principal and interest from income eligibility determinations in the PACE and PACENET programs; and SB 1303 (Brown, R-Monroe), which would lower the age threshold for hospitals to offer influenza vaccines to patients from 65 to 50.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee reported several bills:
- HB 155 (Sanchez, D-Philadelphia), which would allow two-way video calls to satisfy the face-to-face requirement for job interviews for direct care workers;
- HB 1608 (Cephas, D-Philadelphia), which would require Medical Assistance to cover doula services for eligible patients;
- HB 2084 (Briggs, D-Montgomery), which would allow virtual manufacturers to be licensed as wholesale distributors of prescription drugs; and
- HB 2127 (Fiedler, D-Philadelphia), which would require hospitals, birthing centers, and midwives to provide patients with a fact sheet about postpartum depression and counseling resources.
The Senate Labor and Industry Committee reported out:
- HB 1632 (O’Mara, D-Delaware), which would amend the Workers’ Compensation Act to include compensation for post-traumatic stress injuries suffered by first responders; and
- HB 2153 (Dawkins, D-Philadelphia) which would amend the Prevailing Wage Act, prohibiting split rates (where workers are paid different rates at different times for the same project) and covering custom fabrication and HVAC duct cleaning.
The Senate Urban Affairs and Housing Committee reported out HB 126 (Bizzarro, D-Erie), which would establish the First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account Program. The bill allows individuals to contribute to a savings account to be used toward down payments or allowable closing costs for the purchase of a single-family residence.
On the Senate floor, SB 1237 (Baker, R-Luzerne) passed finally and will go to the House for consideration. The bill would make several changes to the Underground Utility Line Protection (PA One Call) Law, including eliminating the current sunset date of December 31, 2024.
Wednesday, the House Human Services Committee held a public hearing on HB 2560 (Pickett, R-Bradford), which would: (1) allow on-site psychiatric services to be provided by either a psychiatrist or an advanced practice professional; (2) permit the Department of Human Services to issue waivers for fully remote providers; and (3) incorporate mobile mental health services delivered by clinical professionals into Medicaid.
The House Finance Committee reported out SB 1056 (Argall, R-Schuylkill), which would amend the Fiscal Code to extend the “prudent person investment standard” for the Treasury Department until December 31, 2034.
The House Professional Licensure Committee reported out SB 1255 (Farry, R-Bucks), which would amend the Outpatient Psychiatric Oversight Act to expand the definition of an “advanced practice professional” to include physician assistants with a written agreement with a psychiatrist.
The House Health Committee reported out the following bills:
- HB 2094 (Howard, D-Chester), which would ensure that spouses, children, and parents are only held liable for an indigent family member’s outstanding medical bill if there has been collusion to hide assets within the past five years, or if the family member fails to cooperate in the Medical Assistance process;
- HB 2549 (Borowski, D-Delaware), which would require autopsies to include an inquiry to determine whether the death was a direct result of a seizure or epilepsy;
- SB 840 (Brown, R-Monroe), which would establish a permanent Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, and Related Disorders Office and Advisory Committee within the Department of Aging; and
- SB 1080 (Culver, R-Northumberland), which would authorize practical nurses to pronounce the death of patients receiving hospice care.
The House Judiciary Committee also sent bills to the floor for consideration:
- HB 2525 (Rabb, D-Philadelphia), which would prohibit corporations from using deceptive environmental marketing claims (Greenwashing);
- SB 169 (Baker, R-Luzerne), which would mandate that courts hold disposition review hearings at least every three months to ensure children in out-of-home placements are receiving the necessary services and treatment;
- SB 170 (Baker, R-Luzerne), which would allow for the expungement of juvenile records under specific circumstances;
- SB 267 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would amend the Newborn Protection Act by adding urgent care centers to the list of “safe havens” where parents may surrender their newborns without facing criminal charges; and
- SB 1118 (Stefano, R-Fayette), which would authorize a community service program as an alternative for individuals seeking to restore their driver’s license privileges after losing them due to certain offenses.
The Week Ahead
Expect another busy week, as both chambers are back in Harrisburg for three session days.
On Monday, the House Transportation Committee will consider three bills of note:
- HB 1043 (Ciresi, D-Montgomery), which would provide a penalty for blocking or not properly utilizing an electric vehicle charging station;
- HB 1436 (Kutz, R-Cumberland), which would allow motor vehicle owners the same amount of time as commercial vehicle owners to correct inspection violations and ensure the vehicle is safe; and
- HB 1613 (Mullins, D-Lackawanna), which would give residents the option to purchase vendor-designed specialty license plates that meet state safety and legibility standards.
The House Education Committee will consider HB 2567 (Probst, D-Monroe), which would task the Department of Education with developing a strategic plan for a statewide computer science education program.
The House Consumer Protection, Utilities and Technology Committee will meet to consider a resolution recognizing National Train Day; and the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee will recognize Fire Prevention Week and Veterans’ Day.
On Tuesday, the House Children and Youth Committee will hold a hearing on foster care benefits.
Wednesday, the House Labor and Industry Committee will hold an informational meeting on the Federated Mutual Insurance Company v. Summit Pharmacy case. In the case, the Commonwealth Court rejected the use of the “Red Book”, a privately published pharmaceutical pricing index that the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation uses to determine average wholesale prices. The case will now go to the state Supreme Court on appeal.
Thursday, the House Education Committee will hold an informational meeting on school safety and security.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
In Other News
- The Department of Human Services (DHS) announced its intent to increase rates paid in its Behavioral HealthChoices program, which provides access to mental health, substance use disorder, and other behavioral health services for Medicaid recipients.
- DHS announced a Request for Applications (RFA) seeking managed care organizations to administer services for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) program, which provides health coverage to uninsured children and teens through age 19.
- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released the 18th edition of its Annual Report.
- The Department of Community and Economic Development announced the opening of the $400 million PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites) program, which provides funding to develop more high-quality, pad ready sites for companies looking to expand in Pennsylvania or establish new operations here.
- Perry Warren was named the Chairman of the House Human Services Committee.

























