Weekly Wrap
Fresh off the signing of the FY 2025-2026 budget into law last week, both chambers were in session this week for three session days.
The week began on Monday with a slew of public and informational meetings on the calendar:
- The House Communications and Technology Committee held a public hearing on HB 634 (Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks), which would require schools to consider implementing a panic alarm system within their classrooms during the annual review of their safety and security practices;
- The House Education Committee and House Health Committee held a joint informational meeting on cellphones in schools;
- The House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee held a public hearing on setback requirements for unconventional gas wells;
- The House Energy Committee held an informational meeting on small module nuclear reactor (SMR) technology; and
- The House Human Services Committee held an informational meeting on federal rule changes to SNAP and their impact on Pennsylvania.
HB 710 (Benninghoff, R-Centre) was reported from the House Transportation Committee. The bill would require the Department of Transportation to establish an online verification system for automobile insurance coverage.
Two bills of note were reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee: SB 614 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would establish a grant program to incentivize and fund clinical rotations for medical, dental, nursing, physician assistant, and related students at Federally Qualified Health Centers; and SB 1070 (Rothman, R-Cumberland), which would allow counties to allocate Act 13 funds for the replacement or repair of municipal bridges.
The following bills of note passed finally in the House and will go to the Senate for consideration:
- HB 1894 (Madden, D-Monroe), which would require the Department of Human Services and Independent Enrollment Brokers to provide additional education materials regarding Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE) program to eligible individuals enrolled in the Medical Assistance program;
- HB 1961 (Merski, D-Erie), which would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Physician Assistants Licensure Compact;
- HB 1980 (Takac, D-Centre), which would require physicians to complete one hour of continuing education in nutrition; and
- HB 1995 (Dawkins, D-Philadelphia), which would delay the unemployment compensation 250% solvency trigger to July 1, 2027.
On Tuesday, the Senate Aging and Youth Committee held a public hearing on ensuring quality and oversight of aging services.
The House Energy Committee reported out HB 1260 (Siegel, D-Lehigh), which would require new warehouses and distribution centers be constructed so that they are solar-ready and provide a tax credit for existing warehouses and distribution centers to make any retrofits necessary to be solar-ready. The committee also reported out HB 2017 (Giral, D-Philadelphia), which would authorize the Department of Environmental Protection to adjust the current fee structure to account for SMRs.
Three bills were reported from House Health Committee:
- HB 1043 (Venkat, D-Allegheny), which would provide for the administration of FDA-approved epinephrine delivery systems (not just auto-injectors) in a school setting;
- HB 1652 (Salisbury, D-Allegheny), which would require newborn screenings to include Gaucher disease; and
- HB 1715 (Flood, R-Northampton), which would require newborn screenings to include Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The Senate Communications and Technology Committee reported out SB 1090 (Pennycuick, R-Montgomery), which would establish safeguards for artificial intelligence chatbots that are accessible by minors.
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee reported out SB 1095 (Brooks, R-Mercer), which would provide for an alternative payment model for the Pennsylvania Rural Health Redesign Program.
SB 1058 (Ward, R-Blair), which would redefine “alternative fuels” to allow for gasoline-ethanol mixtures containing 51% to 85% ethanol by volume, passed on the Senate floor and will go to the House of Representatives for consideration.
Wednesday, the House Aging and Older Adult Services Committee held a public hearing on HB 1670 (Hanbidge, D-Montgomery), which would require health insurance policies to provide coverage for hearing aids.
The House Finance Committee reported out HB 1556 (Fiedler, D-Philadelphia), which would establish an Advanced Clean Manufacturing Tax Credit for facilities that produce clean steel, clean aluminum, clean cement, clean glass, electric grid modernization equipment, energy-efficient heat pumps, energy-efficient turbines or hydrogen electrolyzers.
The House Local Government Committee reported out HB 1664 (Ciresi, D-Montgomery), which would establish a historic and older building redevelopment assistance grant program.
The Senate Transportation Committee reported out SB 1096 (Ward, R-Blair), which would establish a bonding program to repair rural roads and bridges.
SB 997 (Flynn, D-Lackawanna), which would add one member of the Pennsylvania Online Messengers Association Board of Directors to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee, passed in the Senate and will go to the House for consideration.
The following bills passed finally and once signed by the Governor will become law:
- HB 923 (Rivera, R-Lancaster), which would extend the moratorium on individuals becoming ineligible for the PACE/PACENET programs solely due to a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment to December 31, 2027;
- HB 1332 (Harris, D-Philadelphia), which would authorize the overall limitations on debt to be incurred for capital projects;
- HB 1421 (Harris, D-Philadelphia), which would provide funding for the state-related universities; and
- SB 88 (Farry, R-Bucks), which would require health insurance companies to cover diagnostic breast examinations at no cost.
The Week Ahead
With the holiday season on the horizon, the session days of 2025 are winding down. The Senate is in session December 8-10, and the House of Representatives are back in Harrisburg December 16-17.
A full list of committee meetings can be found here:
In Other News
- The Administration unveiled its Rural Health Transformation Plan, which if approved by the federal government, will provide up to $200 million per year for five years to improve health care access, quality, and outcomes in rural communities.
- Attorney General Dave Sunday launched an Elder Exploitation Section — an expansion of protections and services for seniors, with focus on deterring financial theft and holding offenders criminally responsible.
- The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board released their monthly financial report, highlighted by a record amount for revenue generated through iGaming.

























