HB 109 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 27 (Environmental Resources) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for issuance of permits in environmental justice areas.

HB 109 creates a new permit review process for specific industrial facilities in Pennsylvania's designated "environmental justice areas" - communities with high pollution burdens and vulnerable populations (low-income, communities of color). It requires the Department of Environmental Protection to consider cumulative environmental and public health impacts when reviewing permits for facilities like large wastewater plants (50,000+ gal/day), major air polluters, waste sites (25+ tons/month), mining operations, and certain landfills. The bill mandates that permits in these areas must address disproportionate environmental impacts, as defined by demographic, economic, health, and environmental data. This directly affects developers and operators of industrial facilities seeking new or expanded permits in designated communities.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Last action Apr 7, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN0087 Printer's No. PN1281 · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was significantly expanded to include many more sponsors and updated its printer number to reflect its progress through the legislative process. The core policy changes focus on broadening the definition of 'cumulative environmental impacts' to explicitly include public health and pollution, and expanding the list of facilities requiring special permits to cover more air sources, mining operations, and sewage plants. These changes aim to strengthen environmental justice protections by ensuring a wider range of potentially harmful facilities undergo stricter review in vulnerable communities.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded from a limited set of specific permits to a broader range of air, waste, mining, and water facilities, while also adding new sponsors to the legislation.
DEFINITION

The definition of 'cumulative environmental impacts' was updated to explicitly include 'public health' alongside environmental impacts and pollution.

SCOPE

The list of facilities requiring special permits was expanded to include additional air sources, mining types, and sewage treatment capacities.

ELIGIBILITY

New sponsors were added to the bill, indicating broader legislative support and potential for further amendments.

TIMELINE

The bill's status was updated from an initial introduction to a reported and amended version, reflecting its progression through the legislative committee.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Amendments
1
Apr 7, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported as amended
lower
Jan 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to Environmental & Natural Resource Protection
lower
1 primary · 49 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Greg Vitali
Greg Vitali
DDemocratic
PA
166
Co
Photo of Abigail Salisbury
Abigail Salisbury
DDemocratic
PA
34
Co
Photo of Amen Brown
Amen Brown
DDemocratic
PA
10
Co
Photo of Ben Sanchez
Ben Sanchez
DDemocratic
PA
153
Co
Photo of Ben Waxman
Ben Waxman
DDemocratic
PA
182
Co
Photo of Bob Freeman
Bob Freeman
DDemocratic
PA
136
Co
Photo of Brian Munroe
Brian Munroe
DDemocratic
PA
144
Co
Photo of Carol Hill-Evans
Carol Hill-Evans
DDemocratic
PA
95
Co
Photo of Carol Kazeem
Carol Kazeem
DDemocratic
PA
159
Co
Photo of Chris Pielli
Chris Pielli
DDemocratic
PA
156
Co
Photo of Chris Rabb
Chris Rabb
DDemocratic
PA
200