State Government 2025-2026
The State Government committee met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025 to consider the following bills or resolutions:
Senate Bill 305, P.N. 242 (Phillips-Hill) – Allows the Commonwealth to consider a demonstrated history of unsatisfactory performance in other states when considering debarment or suspension.
- A00440 (Phillips-Hill)- Technical amendment. Amendment adopted unanimously.
- Reported out of committee as amended unanimously.
Senate Bill 306, P.N. 243 (Phillips-Hill) – Requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to report steps taken to publish Constitutional Amendments.
- Reported out of committee unanimously.
Senate Bill 686, P.N. 675 (Dush) – Makes it an offense to destroy a record if that record is the subject of a Right-to-Know request.
- A00448 (Dush)- Shifts the bill’s language to Title 18 to conform with existing laws about deleting or tampering with public records. Makes whether the record was the subject of a Right-to-Know request a grading consideration. Amendment adopted unanimously.
- Reported out of committee as amended by a vote of 8-3, with Sens. Santarsiero, Saval, and A. Williams voting no.
Senate Bill 226, P.N. 179 (Phillips-Hill) – Subjects the Pennsylvania School Boards Association to the provisions of the Right-to-Know Law.
- Reported out of committee by a vote of 8-3, with Sens. Santarsiero, Saval, and A. Williams voting no.
House Resolution 25, P.N. 280 (Ciresi) – Establishes a state song commission to review submissions for a new state song and make a recommendation
- Reported out of committee unanimously
The State Government committee met on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, to consider the following:
SB 71 (Sen. Street) Renames the Pennsylvania Judicial Center as the Chief Justice Robert N. C. Nix, Jr. Judicial Center.
Reported from committee unanimously.
SB 181 (Sen. Costa)- Amends the Election Code to allow residual funds of terminated political action committees to be donated to non-profit organizations.
Reported from committee unanimously.
SB 790 (Sen. Dush)- Amends the Right to Know Law to allow agencies to petition the Office of Open Records to determine that a requester is a vexatious requester, and that the agency is not required to answer the right to know request.
Reported from committee by a 9-2 vote with Sens. Muth and Saval voting in the negative.
SB 812 (Sens. Santarsiero and Dush)- Amends the Election Code to allow the public to attend the Department of State’s functionality examination of voting machines and to require counties to submit malfunction reports to the Department of State after every election.
Reported from committee as amended unanimously.
A00820 (Sen. Dush)- Addresses language requests from Department of State. Passed unanimously.
The State Government committee met on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, to consider the following:
Senate Resolution 46, P.N. 378 (Martin) – Urges congress to end biannual clock changes and institute year-round standard or daylight savings time. Reported out of committee 10-1, with Sen. Muth voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 225, P.N. 377 (Dush) – Provides for business owners to be compensated for loss of goodwill accumulated in their businesses operation if their business operation is seized by eminent domain. Reported out of committee unanimously.
Senate Bill 472, P.N. 427 (Phillips-Hill) – Grants an “acting secretary” the title of “Deputy – Head of Department.”, limits the time a deputy head can serve to 90 days, places other limitations on the Deputy – Head of Department, and requires them to appear during budget hearings. Reported out of committee along a party line vote of 7-4.

Senator Steve Santarsiero
Committee Chair