Post Session Report :: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
HB 369, PN 4017 (Freeman) – Would allow a municipality of any size to create a land bank whereas currently, a population of 10,000 is required to do so. The bill excludes Counties of the Second Class from the scope of the bill. A vote of 35-15 was recorded.
HB 558, PN 3170 (Isaacson) – Imposes a cap on rental application fees. A vote of 36-14 was recorded.
HB 559, PN 4072 (Isaacson) – Amends the Liquor Code (Act 21 of 1951) to:
- Newly define “previously unlicensed location” as a location where a restaurant, hotel, club, retail dispenser, importing distributor or distributor license has never been licensed or has not been licensed within three years;
- Further requires previously unlicensed locations to go through the posting, public review and hearing process under the Act;
- Change the definition of “ready-to-drink cocktail” (RTDs) to be a container of 475 ml instead of 16 oz and the off-premise sales limits are changed from 5,700 ml instead of 192 oz;
- Increase the number of hearings officers that the PLCB can contract with;
- Allow the PLCB to sell zero alcohol or one-half of one-percent alcoholic beverage;
- Allow for a one-time waiver of the prohibition for transferring a retail liquor license that was subject to an intermunicipal transfer within 5 years of the date that the licensed premises became operational; and
- Allow for an economic development license to be transferred to new ownership at its original location.
Senator Laughlin offered amendment A04734 which amends the act to allow the PLCB to sell zero alcohol and .5% of less alcoholic beverages. The amendment clarifies that the non-alcoholic and low alcohol beverages that the PLCB would be permitted to sell would be limited to wine and spirits based beverages.
The amendment will allow for the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association to hold wine and spirit auctions for fundraising for their educational programs.
Stop-N-Goes
The bill amends the definitions of eating place license, hotel license, and restaurant license to add a clarification of the food requirements for each type of license to require substantial food offerings sufficient to constitute a meal.
Further defines substantial food offerings sufficient to constitute a meal to mean two or more main dish or entree options at least two or more side options set forth on an accessible menu and made readily available for selection and purchase by customers, or compliance with any minimum food requirements imposed by other State or local licensing authorities in order to obtain a health or food permit. A main dish or entree may consist of a wide variety of hot or cold food items such as hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, salads or pizza, but may not consist solely of sealed prepacked processed food items purchased by the licensee. Side options may consist of a wide variety of hot or cold food items, such as French fries, vegetables or greens, coleslaw, chips and pretzels, and may consist of sealed, prepackaged processed food items purchased by the licensee.
Nothing in this definition shall be construed to preclude a licensee from:
1) Preparing food items on its premises ahead of time and then repackaging the items to be served later or
2) Offering different or more limited food menus during certain hours of operation throughout a day, if the minimum food requirements set forth in this act are satisfied when alcoholic beverages are actively being served.
The amendment adds a new section 470.4 (Failure to Maintain Minimum Requirements for Licensure) to require licensees to meet the minimum square footage, seating, food, rooms (in the case of hotels) and health code requirements under the Act.
The PLCB Bureau of Licensing has the authority to conduct compliance checks to investigate if licensees are maintaining the minimum requirements. If the Bureau determines that the licensee is not in compliance, they may suspend the license for 10 days pending an administrative hearing to be held within 10 days.
A hearing examiner may refer their findings to the PLCB Board and the Board can impose a $2,000 fine and 30 day suspension for the first violation and a $4,000 fine and 60 day suspension for a second violation within one year.
A licensee can waive the right to a hearing after having resolved all of its compliance violations, pay a $2,000 fee and enter a conditional licensing agreement (CLA).). The CLA will expire after one year of compliance under the act.
The amendment will Eliminate the notice of violation requirement to allow the LCE to immediately cite a licensee upon a liquor enforcement officer finding a violation (within 30 days of completion of investigation) and impose a time constraint on the issuance of adjudications for all violations of the Liquor Code, such as 6 months from the date of citation, to ensure that penalties are aligned with the violation and may be considered when the Board reviews license renewals.
The amendment increases the penalties and fines for all citations, which currently range from $1,000 and $5,000 for enhanced citation and between $50 and $1,000 for all other citations.
Requires an applicant for a license or renewal submit an affirmation that the applicants has paid their local taxes.
The amendment passed by a vote of 44-6. The bill was approved by a vote of 43-7.
SB 807, PN 1988 (Culver) – Amends the Older Adults Protective Services Act (OAPSA) by adding a new chapter, Chapter 9. Under this new chapter, the Older Adult Abuse Registry is established in order to “document incidents of abuse and prohibit individuals who have harmed older adults from being employed in settings serving vulnerable populations.” A vote of 42-8 was recorded.
HB 928, PN 4086 (Kosierowski) – Requires EpiPens in day-care facilities. A vote of 49-1 was recorded.
HB 961, PN 4053 (Mihalek) – Amending Title 30 (Fish) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to update provisions for dam marking. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1098, PN 4081 (Ortitay) – Amending the act of November 22, 1978 (P.L.1166, No.274), entitled “An act establishing the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, providing for its powers and duties establishing several advisory committees within the commission and providing for their powers and duties,” providing for Investigation and Prosecution of Internet Crimes Against Children Program. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1403, PN 2055 (Farry) – Amends Title 35 to provide for the Department of Health to authorize types of facilities to which ambulances may transport patients, including for behavioral health and substance use disorder treatment settings, and provides for reimbursement for transporting patients to those facilities. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1652, PN 2005 (Salisbury) – Amends the Newborn Child Testing Act by adding Gaucher disease to the newborn screening panel. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 1704, PN 2385 (Warren) – An Act amending Title 68 (Real and Personal Property) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in general provisions relating to residential real property, further providing for definitions; in seller disclosures, further providing for disclosure form and providing for website information and for flood disclosure; and imposing duties on the Insurance Department. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 2187, PN 2850 (Hill-Evans) – Commonwealth employees and contractors with access to Federal tax information (FTI) will be required to resubmit to a criminal history background check every five years instead of every ten years. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 2227, PN 3749 (Burns) – Names multiple roads and bridges throughout the Commonwealth. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
HB 2299, PN 3019 (Bizzaro) – Amends Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) and Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to authorize the use of body worn cameras by county probation and parole officers. A vote of 42-8 was recorded.
HB 2437, PN 3247 (Davidson) – Amends Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, specifically § 2315 (Statewide initiatives), to expand the permissible uses of certain impact fee revenues deposited into the Highway Bridge Improvement Restricted Account. A vote of 49-1 was recorded.
HB 2443, PN 4082 (Mullins) – Creates the Child Victim Recovery Fund, requiring courts to impose additional fees on convicted defendants in qualifying sexual abuse cases. The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will oversee the fund and allocate resources to Child Advocacy Centers and programs that provide care and support to child victims. A vote of 47-3 was recorded.
HB 2474, PN 4056 (Rivera) – Amending Title 23 (Domestic Relations) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adding new crimes to the definition of ‘Child-on-child’ contact that must be reported to the statewide child abuse hotline or DHS by mandated reporters. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SR 377, PN 1963 (Baker) – Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to conduct a study on costs to crime victims regarding the impoundment and holding of their vehicles and other property as part of crime investigations and to issue a report of its findings to the Senate. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 416, PN 2021 (Robinson) – Amends the act of December 19, 1988 (P.L.1262, No. 156), known as the Local Option Small Games of Chance Act, to allow licensed organizations to accept electronic payments for raffle tickets, changes the distribution of proceeds from games of chance by club licensees and increases aggregate prize limits for eligible organizations. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 764, PN 1322 (Dush) – Amends Title 53 to provide for the suspension of the implementation of a previously approved consolidation or merger of two municipalities and for the judicial review and court-ordered declaration of a subsequent referendum. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 804, PN 2056 (Boscola) – Amends Title 35 (Health and Safety) by creating a new Chapter 58A – Medical Devices – providing for the prohibition on manufacturing, selling, or distributing certain medical devices containing toxic DEHP or other ortho-phthalates. The bill also adds fire and EMS protections against PFAS in firefighting equipment, uses funds from Hazardous Sites Cleanup Find for fire/EMS to obtain PFAS-free equipment and prohibits sales of firefighting foam for flammable liquid fires containing an intentionally added PFAS chemical. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 49-1 was recorded.
SB 1212, PN 2058 (Pennycuick) – Amends the Sexual Assault Testing and Evidence Collection Act (Act 165 of 2006) to update the statutory definition of “awaiting testing.” The bill removes multiple limiting criteria related to law-enforcement possession, case status, and investigative determinations, and replaces them with a simplified definition covering all collected sexual-assault evidence that has not yet received DNA or other appropriate forensic analyses. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1260, PN 2051 (Robinson) – Creates the Electrical Services Licensure Act to establish statewide licensure of electrical contractors, electricians, residential electricians, apprentice electricians and probationary electrical workers. The bill establishes a new State Board of Electrical Licensure within the Department of State and authorizes the board to regulate licensure, continuing education, fees, discipline, enforcement and public reporting. The bill also preempts local licensure requirements by prohibiting municipalities from requiring a separate local license for an individual already licensed under the act. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 41-9 was recorded.
SB 1303, PN 2008 (Martin) – Authorizes the permanent display of the Braille Flag Monument in the East Wing of the Pennsylvania State Capitol Building. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1328, PN 2059 (Bartolotta) – Requires Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at electric utility worksites. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 48-2 was recorded.
SB 1334, PN 2011 (Culver) – Amends the Medical Practice Act providing for the licensing qualifications and the scope of practice for medical imaging professionals, radiation therapists, and radiologist assistants. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 43-7 was recorded.
SB 1372, PN 2018 (Brooks) – Amends the Human Services Code to require the Department of Human Services to publish an annual report summarizing enforcement and inspection activities for publicly funded programs and for-profit child care entities, establishes carbon monoxide alarm standards in child care facilities and changes the requirement for fire manual testing of fire detection devices in child care centers and family child care homes. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 49-1 was recorded.
SB 1431, PN 1980 (Laughlin) – Amending Title 34 (Game) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), further providing for PGC officers and employees; and, in enforcement, further providing for powers and duties of enforcement officers. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
SB 1014, PN 1697 (Robinson) – Requires schools to adopt a policy banning students’ use of mobile devices during the entire school day. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 47-3 was recorded.
SB 1269, PN 1973 (Picozzi) – Provides for the installation and use of electric security fences on commercial and nonresidential properties. Senate concurred in House amendments. A vote of 50-0 was recorded.
The Senate confirmed the following executive nominations by a vote of 50-0:
Eric J. Day, State Board of Accountancy (new appointment)
Douglas E. Carney, Architects Licensure Board (new appointment)
Michael W. Johns, Architects Licensure Board (reappointment)
Amber N. Derr, State Board of Barber Examiners (reappointment)
Daryl L. Miller, State Conservation Commission (reappointment)
Kendra J. Nissley, State Conservation Commission (new appointment)
Aynyess M. George, State Board of Cosmetology (new appointment)
Michael K. Kaner, State Board of Dentistry (new appointment)
Michael C. Verber, State Board of Dentistry (new appointment)
Peter Speaks, Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (new appointment)
Richard E. Lorah, Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (new appointment)
Eric J. Sims, Municipal Police Officers’ Education and Training Commission (new appointment)
Jennifer L. Bellot, State Board of Nursing (new appointment)
Jena L. Shovlin, State Board of Occupational Therapy Education and Licensure (reappointment)
Joseph A. Terravecchia, State Board of Optometry (new appointment)
Melissa A. Vitek, State Board of Optometry (new appointment)
Christopher J. Miller, State Board of Pharmacy (new appointment)
Patrick J. Muller, State Board of Pharmacy (new appointment)
Justin T. Fischgrund, State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (new appointment)
Jason D. Floyd, State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (new appointment)
Donald R. Housley, State Registration Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists (new appointment)
David A. Rogers, State Board of Psychology (new appointment)
Eric M. Lehmayer, State Board of Certified Real Estate Appraisers (new appointment)
Shannon F. Colgan, State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (new appointment)
Kaylee J. Taylor, State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors (new appointment)
Tiffany M. Moniz, State Board of Examiners in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology (new appointment)
Robert W. Shaffer, State Transportation Commission (new appointment)
Kristin S. McKeown, State Board of Veterinary Medicine (new appointment)
Mary V. Peacock, State Board of Veterinary Medicine (new appointment)
The Senate confirmed the following executive nomination by a vote of 49-1:
Cheryl Schriner, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (new appointment)
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