Appropriations 2025-2026
The Appropriations Committee met on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB520 (Baker) Amends Titles 18 (Crimes and Offenses), 30 (Fish), 34 (Game) and 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) for body camera authorization at the Game Commission, Fish & Boat Commission and DCNR
- Amendment A 01214 (Martin) transfer of funds – Amendment was adopted unanimously
- Bill was adopted as amended 17-5 (Kearney, Street, Kim, Costa, Hughes voting in the negative)
SB715 (J. Ward) Amends the Rare Disease Advisory Council Act to extend the sunset provision to June 30, 2028
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
SB800 (Rothman) Amends Title 30 (Fish) to allow moneys from the Fish Fund to be used for expenses related to boats and boating and moneys from the Boat Fund to be used for expenses of the commission related to fish and fishing
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB103 (Kulik) Amends Title 30 (Fish) to add a new Chapter 57 to provide for rules and penalties for at-risk, derelict and abandoned boats
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB209 (Borowski) Amends The Second Class Township Code to change the effective date of enacted ordinances
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB211 (Warren) Amends the Medical Foods Insurance Coverage Act to update outdated terminology
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB261 (Pickett) Amends The Insurance Company Law to update outdated terminology
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB309 (Burns) Amends the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act to provide licensure exemptions for visiting team physicians and for temporary licensure
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB491 (Pielli) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to provide for concurrent jurisdiction on military installations
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB615 (Khan) Amends the Donated Food Limited Liability Act to limit criminal and civil liability for any person who donates food that is fit for human consumption that is past the labeled date code recommended by the manufacturer
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB640 (D. Williams) Amends The Administrative Code of 1929 to update annual reporting requirements for the Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
(OVER) HB799 (Deasy) Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) to provide for workplace posting of resources for veterans
HB1057 (Parker) Amends the Board of Wardens for the Port of Philadelphia Act to increase rates of pilotage and computation and pilotage fees
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB1103 (Cephas) Amends Title 7 (Banks and Banking) to allow compliant mortgage lenders the authority to offer discount points for loans
- Bill was reported out of committee unanimously
HB1431 (Steele) Amends Title 34 (Game) removing the prohibition on Sunday hunting and strengthening trespassing penalties
- Bill was reported out of committee 16-6 (Cappelletti, Haywood, Kearney, Schwank, Hughes, Vogel voted in the negative)
The Appropriations Committee met on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB64 (Bartolotta) Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) to provide for a veteran-owned small business logo
- A0114 (Martin) Technical amendment Amended adopted unanimously
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations17-5 as amended (with Cappelletti, Kearney, Kim, Costa, Hughes in the negative)
SB101 (Bartolotta) Amends the Workforce Development Act to add new definitions and require the Department of Labor & Industry to disseminate information to local workforce development agencies
- A00965 (Martin) Provides for utilization of the Reemployment Fund to cover the costs of implementation Amendment adopted 17-5 (with Cappelletti, Kearney, Kim, Costa, Hughes in the negative)
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously as amended
SB375 (Brown) Amends the Public School Code to establish the Automated External Defibrillator Program and to place requirements on school entities related to Automated External Defibrillator (AED) availability and training
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
SB398 (Brooks) Amends the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act to provide for online raffles by fire companies
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
SB416 (Robinson) Amends the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act to provide for credit card and mobile payments for small games of chance
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
SB432 (Pennycuick) Amends the Public School Code to expand the Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program for foster and adopted children
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
SB583 (Pennycuick) Establishes the Social Work Licensure Compact Act
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
(OVER) SB604 (Boscola) Establishes the Counseling Compact Act
(OVER) SB733 (Hughes) Amends the Public School Code to provide for financial aid exit counseling to students
SB766 (Brown) Amends the Human Services Code to permit children entering kindergarten to attend summer camp and other short-term programs
- A01172 (Martin) changes the effective date Amended adopted unanimously
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously as amended
SB780 (Picozzi) Amends Title 68 (Real and Personal Property) to address unauthorized encampments, and provide rights of actions for neighbors and residents to seek relief
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations 14-8 along party lines
SB838 (Culver) Amends the Private Licensed Schools Act to include real estate schools under the definition of a private licensed school
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
SB842 (Brown) Amends The Dental Law to further provide for the general powers of the State Board of Dentistry and for restricted faculty licenses
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
HB257 (Neilson) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to require PennDOT to include safe driving practices in work zones and related penalties in driver’s license examinations
- Reported out of Senate Appropriations unanimously
The Appropriations Committee met on Monday, June 23, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB88 (Farry) Amends The Insurance Company Law to require insurance coverage for costs associated with mammographic exams, magnetic resonance imaging and other forms of breast imaging
Bill passed unanimously
SB 205 (Rothman) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to allow counties to set aside supplemental bridge funding allocations and fuel tax revenue to municipalities for construction and maintenance of municipality owned bridges within the county
Bill passed unanimously
SB 527 (Farry) Amends the Local Tax Enabling Act by adding a new chapter regarding local taxes in cities of the first class
Passed 13-9 with all Democrats and Senator Picozzi voting in the negative
SB 764 (Dush) Amends Title 53 (Municipalities Generally) to provide municipalities with the ability to petition approved consolidation or merger referendum
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1333 (J. Harris) Professional Licensure Augmentation Account funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1334 (J. Harris) Workmen’s Compensation Act funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1335 (J. Harris) Office of Small Business Advocate funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1336 (J. Harris) Public School Employees’ Retirement Board funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1337 (J. Harris) State Employees’ Retirement Board funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1338 (J. Harris) Philadelphia Parking Authority funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1339 (J. Harris) Public Utility Commission funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
HB 1340 (J. Harris) State Gaming Control Board funding for FY 25-26
Amendment A01137 removing appropriations for skill games administration and skill operation (amendment adopted unanimously)
Bill passed unanimously as amended
HB 1420 (J. Harris) Office of Consumer Advocate funding for FY 25-26
Bill passed unanimously
The Appropriations Committee met on Monday, June 2, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB 89 (Mastriano) Amends the Overdose Mapping Act to require overdose or suspected overdose reporting by EMS providers to the Overdose Information Network system
Bill passed unanimously
SB 95 (Phillips-Hill) Amends the Pharmacy Act to permit EMS providers to leave a dose of naloxone with a caregiver of a patient who has overdosed
Bill passed unanimously
SB 302 (Baker) Amends Title 23 (Domestic Relations) to clarify the appropriate distribution of protection from abuse service fees
Bill passed unanimously
SB 376 (Phillips-Hill) Amends Title 71 (State Government) to ban Tik-Tok from state owned networks and devices
Bill passed unanimously
SB 377 (Phillips-Hill) Amends Title 62 (Procurement) to align state information technology contracts with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards
Bill passed unanimously
SB 411 (Vogel) Amends the Stroke System of Care Act to provide for a statewide stroke registry
Bill passed unanimously
SB 511 (Mastriano) Amends Title 38 (Holidays and Observances) to recognize July 27th as Korean War Veterans Armistice Day
Bill passed unanimously
SB 682 (Yaw) Amends the Conservation and Natural Resources Act to rename the Department of Environmental Protection to the Department of Environmental Services
Passed 14-8 on a party line vote
The Appropriations Committee met on Monday, May 12, 2025, to consider the following bills:
NON-BUDGET BILLS
SB90 (Mastriano) Amends Title 35 (Health and Safety) to expand the testing options for trainees seeking a Firefighter I certification
Bill passed unanimously
SB226 (Phillips-Hill) Amends the Right-to-Know Law definitions to subject the PA School Boards Association to its provisions
Passed along party lines with all Democrats opposed
SB227 (Phillips-Hill) Amends the Public School Code to specify that the PA School Boards Association shall be considered a state-affiliated entity under the Right-to-Know Law
Passed along party lines with all Democrats opposed
SB246 (Coleman) Amends the Public School Code to require a school entity to provide notification of weapon incidents to parents and employees
Passed 20-2 (Cappelletti and Kearney opposed)
SB310 (Martin) Amends the Public School Code to mandate high school students complete the Free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) starting in the 2025-2026 school year
Passed 21-1 (Kearney opposed)
SB327 (Gebhard) Amends Title 53 to certify Fort Indiantown Gap police officers under the Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission
Bill passed unanimously
SB367 (Coleman) Amends the Tax Reform Code to provide for audits of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone (NIZ)
Bill passed unanimously
SB731 (Farry & Collett) Amends the State Lottery Law to further provide for a Social Security COLA moratorium in PACE and PACENET programs
Bill passed unanimously
BUDGET BILLS
(Note: — Today’s budget bill movement was merely a ‘moving the process’ effort tied to the June budget deadline. They are all Senate budget vehicles and do not contain ‘real’ or agreed-to budget numbers. As a starting point, the bills fund appropriations at last year’s levels. They will get re-referred back to the Appropriations committee later to be amended with negotiated budget numbers)
SB160 (Martin) General Appropriations Act for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB161 (Martin) Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs funding for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB162 (Martin) Preferred Appropriations from the Workmen’s Compensation Administration Fund for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB163 (Martin) Office of Small Business Advocate funding for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB164 (Martin) Office of Consumer Advocate for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB165 (Martin) Public School Employees’ Retirement Board funding for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB166 (Martin) State Employees’ Retirement Board funding for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
bPhiladelphia Parking Authority funding for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB168 (Martin) Public Utility Commission funding for FY 2025-2206
Passed unanimously
SB169 (Martin) Preferred Appropriations from the State Gaming Fund and restricted revenue accounts for FY 2025-2026
Passed unanimously
SB427 (Martin) General Appropriations Act for FY 2025-2026: Agricultural Preparedness appropriation only
Passed unanimously
SB428 (Martin) General Appropriations Act for FY 2025-2026: Workforce Development appropriation only
Passed unanimously
SB429 (Martin) General Appropriations Act for FY 2025-2026: Rape Crisis Programs appropriation only
Passed unanimously
SB430 (Martin) General Appropriations Act for FY 2025-2026: Domestic Violence Programs appropriation only
Passed unanimously
The Appropriations Committee met on Monday, May 5, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB115 (Argall) Amends the Human Services Code allowing for the use of a skills competency examination for individuals seeking employment as a direct care staff person in a personal care home or assisted living residence, in lieu of obtaining a high school diploma or GED
Passed unanimously
SB232 (Pennycuick) Amends Title 30 (Fish) to expand access to free or discounted lifetime fishing licenses for disabled veterans
Passed unanimously
SB308 (Hutchinson) Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) to revise the Medical Officer or Health Care Officer Incentive Program provisions
Passed unanimously
SB349 (Yaw) Amends Title 27 (Environmental Resources) to provide for the decommissioning of solar energy facilities and to provide for requirements for complying with forced labor laws
Passed unanimously
SB417 (Gebhard) Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) to establish the Service Members, Veterans and their Families Fund and to permit leasing of Fort Indiantown Gap lands
Passed unanimously
SB466 (Brooks) Amends Title 35 (Health and Safety) to make updates to the Fire and EMS Grant program and allow for an individual who completes fire suppression training as a condition of employment to apply those hours toward the requirements for Firefighter 1 certification
Passed unanimously
SB481 (J. Ward) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to allow milk hauling on highways during a declared national, state or local emergency that would otherwise prevent operation of a milk hauling vehicle
Passed by a vote of 18-4 with Senators Cappelletti, Costa, Hughes and Kearney voting in the negative
The Appropriations Committee met on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB96 (Brooks) Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) to provide for increased penalties for the crime of terroristic threats, and makes threats against a school entity or institution of higher education a third degree felony — Passed 15-7
SB315 (Culver) Amends the Public School Code to require data used for funding allocations for Career and Technical Education Equipment Grants to be fixed by June 1st of each year — Passed unanimously
SB472 (Phillips-Hill) Amends the Administrative Code to place certain requirements and limitations on individuals serving as an acting secretary —- Passed 14-8 with all Democrats voting in the negative
SB475 (Cappelletti) Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to rename problem-solving courts as “treatment courts” — Passed unanimously
The Appropriations Committee met on Monday, March 24, 2025, to consider the following bills:
SB 130 (Mastriano) − Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) relating to the notification of county directors of veterans’ affairs upon the death of a serviceperson
Esta legislación se aprobó por unanimidad.
SB 146 (Baker) − Amends Title 51 (Military Affairs) creating the Veterans’ Trust Fund Board
Esta legislación se aprobó por unanimidad.
SB 202 (Gebhard) − Amends the Money Transmissions Business Licensing Law to add virtual currency under the act
Esta legislación se aprobó por unanimidad.
SB 403 (Yaw) − Amends the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act relating to continuous maintenance permits.
Passed 15-7
SB 404 (Yaw) − Amends the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act relating to county conservation district stream reconstruction emergency permit authorizations
Passed 15-7
The Appropriations Committee met on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and reported out the following bills:
Senate Bill 35 (Langerholc) – Amends Title 75 to exempt certain counties from the enhanced vehicle emission inspection and maintenance program.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 129 (Mastriano) – Amends Title 51 making changes to State Veterans Homes Advisory Councils.
- Vote was unanimous.
Senate Bill 149 (Langerholc) – Amends Title 75 to change emission inspection criteria for newest model year vehicles.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 153 (Brooks) – Amends the Unemployment Compensation Law to include provisions that a claimant may not take actions to discourage employment.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 154 (Boscola) – Amends Title 66 to reinstate the Responsible Utility Consumer Protection Act with changes.
- Vote was 19-3 with Senators Kearney, Kim and Hughes voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 155 (Argall) – Amends the Human Services Code to require DHS to check MA and SNAP client lists against the Vital Statistics death registry.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 156 (Argall) – Amends the Human Services Code to require DHS to check MA and SNAP client lists against L&I records.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 157 (Argall) – Amends the Human Services Code to require DHS reporting to the General Assembly regarding cash assistance income eligibility and asset guidelines, also information on replacing access cards.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 173 (Pennycuick) – Amends Title 51 to create the PA Korean VALOR Act.
- Vote was unanimous.
Senate Bill 186 (Yaw) – A freestanding act providing for the abrogation of CO2 Budget Trading Program Regulations (aka RGGI).
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senate Bill 187 (Yaw) – Amends Title 71 creating the Independent Energy Office.
- Vote was party line with all Democratic members voting in the negative.
Senador Vincent Hughes
Silla