Transportation 2025-2026

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The Senate Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 1295 (Ward) – This bill requires an English language proficiency for testing licensing, and operation of a commercial motor vehicle in Pennsylvania.

Vote – Yes: 10    No: 4

Senate Bill 1296 (Ward) – This bill establishes an English language proficiency requirement for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle, and provides for related penalties.

Vote – Yes: 10    No: 4

Senate Bill 1286 (Ward) – This bill increases penalties for careless death resulting in unintentional death.

Vote – Yes: 11    No: 3

Senate Bill 1262 (Pennycuick) – This bill creates an enhanced penalty for operating a school bus while impaired.

Vote – Yes: 11    No: 3

Senate Bill 1273 (Bartolotta) – This bill provides for further authorization of the sharing of information between the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and law enforcement during Amber Alerts.

Vote – Yes: 14    No: 0

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, April 20, 2026 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 1298 (Senator Langerholc) – The bill expands exemptions from emissions testing for newer vehicles and directs the Commonwealth to scale back or eliminate emissions inspection programs in certain counties, subject to federal approval and funding constraints. 

Vote – Yes: 10 No: 4

Senate Bill 1181 (Senators Keefer and Kim) – Transfers roadways in Dauphin and York Counties from municipal-owned to PennDOT

Vote Yes: 14 No: 0

Senate Bill 1091 (Senator Farry) – Designates the Cpl. Robert Lee Clampffer Memorial Bridge in Bucks County.

Vote – Yes: 14 No: 0

House Bill 1963 (Representative Bizzaro) – Adds a certified driving rehabilitation specialist to PennDOT’s Medical Advisory Board.  

Vote Yes: 14 No: 0

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, February 2, 2026 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 203 (Rothman): This bill authorizes the use of certain farm vehicles to operate between sunset and sunrise.

          This bill was reported unanimously from committee.

Senate Bill 802 (Stefano/Boscola): This bill instructs the Department of Transportation to provide for the option of a communication impairment designation on driver’s licenses.

This bill was reported unanimously from committee.

Senate Bill 990 (Bartolotta): This bill prohibits restrictions of motor vehicles based on power source by a government entity.

          This bill was reported from committee by a vote of 10-4, with Senators Flynn, Kearney, Saval, and L. Williams voting in the negative.

House Bill 710 (Benninghoff): This bill authorizes PennDOT to utilize an online verification system for vehicle insurance.

This bill was reported unanimously from committee.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, December 8, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

House Bill 1615 (Rep. Kauffman): This bill creates a new offense in Title 75 (Vehicles), DUI Following Diversion, as a result of the Commonwealth v. Shifflet Supreme Court case.

• Amendment A02234:  This amendment provides for an inquiry from the court to a defendant regarding ARD rules and agreements, additional technical amendments, and updates the effective date to immediately.
  • Amendment A02226 was adopted unanimously.
• House Bill 1615 was unanimously reported from committee, as amended.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 1096 (J. Ward): This bill provides for supplemental funding for bridges on non-Federal aid system routes through bonding by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and to utilize any cost savings to improve rural roadways.

• This bill was unanimously reported from committee.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, October 27, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

House Bill 1615 (Rep. Kauffman): This bill creates a new offense in Title 75 (Vehicles), DUI Following Diversion, as a result of the Commonwealth v. Shifflet Supreme Court case.

• Amendment A01998 (J. Ward): This amendment inserts language from Senate Bill 697, which addresses the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in Commonwealth v. Eid and U.S. Supreme Court decision in Birchfield v. North Dakota.
  • This amendment was unanimously adopted.
• House Bill 1615 was unanimously reported as amended from committee.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 1058 (J. Ward) – This bill modernizes the E85 fuel standard as containing 51 percent to 83 percent ethanol, aligning with Federal Department of Energy definitions.

• Amendment A01915 (J. Ward)was adopted unanimously.  This amendment adjusts the ethanol blend requirement by expanding the allowable range from 51%–83% to 51%–85%, in coordination with the Department of Revenue.
• This bill was reported as amended out of committee unanimously.

Senate Bill 997 (Flynn) – This bill adds a member of the Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Online Messengers Association to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC).

• Amendment A01928 (Flynn), which adds a member of the autonomous truck industry to the Motor Carrier Safety Advisory Committee (MCSAC), was adopted by a vote of 13 to 1.
• This bill was unanimously reported out of committee, as amended.

Senate Bill 1070  (Rothman) – This bill extends flexibility for the use of Act 13 (Marcellus Legacy Funds) to counties for municipal-owned bridges.

• This bill was reported out of committee unanimously.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, September 8, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 713 (Farry): This bill would permit public transportation agencies to utilize digital advertising signage on their fleets.

• Amendment A01679 was offered by Chairwoman Ward.  This amendment makes several technical clean up changes, including but not limited to compliance with Federal regulations, PennDOT guidelines, and expansion of the types of applicable vehicles.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 11 to one.
• The bill, as amended, was reported from committee by a vote of 10 to two.

Senate Bill 952 (Picozzi): This bill requires the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct annual performance audits of SEPTA

• Amendment A01684 was offered by Chairwoman Ward.  This amendment inserts language from Senate Bill 953, which requires SEPTA and PRT to submit lists of potential public-private partnership opportunities to the P3 board, and Senate Bill 954, which directs PennDOT to establish minimum performance metrics for SEPTA and PRT.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 10 to two.
• The bill, as amended, was reported from committee by a vote of 10 to two.

Senate Bill 955 (Phillips-Hill): This bill creates a Mental Health Awareness license plate.

• The bill, as amended, was unanimously reported from committee.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Thursday, June 26, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

House Bill 646 (Mako): This bill permits motorcyclists to wear headphones or helmets with built-in headphone capabilities while riding a motorcycle.

• Reported out of committee by a vote of 13 to 1, with Senator Lindsay Williams voting in the negative.

Senate Resolution 89 (Pennycuick): This resolution directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct an assessment and analysis of Commonwealth-owned aviation assets.

• Reported out of committee by a vote of 9 to 5, with all Democratic members voting in the negative.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 205 (Rothman): This bill would allow the Act 44/89 funds to be used for both county and municipal bridge maintenance, repair, and replacement.

• Amendment A00823: This amendment changes the effective date to six months from date of enactment.  The prior effective date was July 1, 2025.
  • Amendment A00823 was adopted unanimously.
• Senate Bill 205 was reported out of committee, as amended, unanimously.

Senate Bill 468 (Langerholc): This bill establishes an interstate compact with the State of Alaska for UAS safety, testing, training and education.

• Amendment A00835: This amendment will replaces all references to “all Federal, State, or local laws, regulations, and guidelines” with “all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines.”
  • Amendment A00823 was adopted unanimously.
• Senate Bill 468 was reported out of committee unanimously.

House Bill 238 (Benninghoff): This bill requires PennDOT to accept additional documents permitted under the REAL ID Act of 2005 to verify an applicant’s Social Security Number.

• House Bill 238 was reported out of committee unanimously.

House Bill 240 (Benninghoff): This bill eliminates the requirement of multiple hearing aid tests for school bus drivers.

• House Bill 240 was reported out of committee unanimously.

House Bill 257 (Nielson): This bill requires PennDOT to include at least one question on the written driver examination relating to safe driving practices in work zones along with related penalties.

• House Bill 240 was reported out of committee unanimously.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 65 (Baker): This bill extends the stopping distance requirement from 10 feet to 15 feet before reaching the bus when the red signal lights are activated.  Further, it develops a tiered penalty system for a second or subsequent offense.

• Amendment A00192 was offered by Chairwoman Ward, which amendment requires PennDOT and school districts to enhance education on Pennsylvania’s school bus laws.
  • The amendment was adopted unanimously.
• The bill was reported out of committee, as amended, unanimously.

Senate Bill 185 (Hutchinson): This bill authorizes aftermarket brake light strips on passenger vehicles.

• Amendment A00214 was offered by Chairwoman Ward, which creates further standards for aftermarket brake light strips.
  • The amendment was adopted unanimously.
• This bill was reported out of committee, as amended, unanimously.

Senate Bill 461 (J.Ward and Yaw): This bill authorizes milk hauling operations in emergency declarations or travel restrictions.

• This bill was reported out of committee by a vote of 10-4.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Monday, February 3, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 210 – This bill provides for a new offense for “interference with an operation mass transit vehicle.

The Senate Transportation Committee met on Tuesday, January 28, 2025 to consider the following legislation:

Senate Bill 35 (Langerholc) – This bill exempts the following counties from the mandatory vehicle emissions testing program: Blair, Cambria, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, and Westmoreland.

• Amendment A00010 (Vogel) – removes any other county not listed above, which is required to conduct emissions testing, provided that certain conditions and standards are met.
  • The amendment was adopted by a vote of 11 to 3.
• The bill, as amended, was reported by a vote of 10 to 4.

Senate Bill 149 (Langerholc) – This bill exempts the five newest model year vehicles from the vehicle emissions testing program.

• The bill was reported by a vote of 10 to 4.

Senate Bill 78 (Pittman) – This bill designates the Private First Class John Tabacsko Memorial Bridge in Indiana County.

• This bill was reported from committee unanimously.