HB 2037 Pennsylvania House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

An Act amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in ethics standards and financial disclosure, further providing for definitions and for restricted activities.

HB 2037 updates Pennsylvania's ethics rules for public officials by revising definitions, expanding restrictions on outside activities, and requiring clearer financial disclosures. It directly affects state legislators, executive branch employees, and other public officers who must file financial interest reports. Key changes include modernizing how "restricted activities" (like lobbying) are defined, tightening reporting requirements for investments and income, and adjusting penalties for violations. The bill aims to strengthen transparency in government finances without altering existing ethical standards' core principles.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Nov 2025

Committee Review

Jul 2026

House Passage

Jun 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Nov 17, 2025 Last action Jul 9, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Printer's No. PN3579 → Printer's No. PN3693 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill revision updates the printer's number to reflect the latest version and clarifies that the bill was amended on second consideration. It expands the definition of 'public official' to include the Secretary of an Executive Department, ensuring these officials are subject to the same digital asset disclosure rules as legislators and the Governor. The text also standardizes the formatting of the effective date section.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include the Secretary of an Executive Department in the list of officials required to disclose digital asset interests.

DEFINITION

Added the Secretary of an Executive Department to the list of covered public officials.

TECHNICAL

Updated the printer's number from PN 3579 to PN 3693 and added a prior printer's number reference.

Changed the amendment status description to reflect second consideration.

Corrected the section numbering in the effective date clause.

Printer's No. PN2607 → Printer's No. PN3579 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was updated to reflect its progression from an initial introduction to a version amended and reported from committee. The most significant substantive change is the addition of specific rules regarding digital assets, defining them to include cryptocurrencies, meme coins, NFTs, and stablecoins. The amendment clarifies that public officials and their immediate family members are considered to have a financial interest in digital assets held in trusts if they control the trust or are beneficiaries, and it establishes a 90-day divestment period for such assets.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include a broader range of digital assets (such as meme coins and stablecoins) under existing ethics standards and introduced new rules for how digital assets held in trusts are treated regarding financial conflicts of interest.

DEFINITION

Added a specific definition for 'digital asset' that now explicitly includes cryptocurrency, meme coins, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and stablecoins.

Added a definition for financial interest in digital assets held in trusts, specifying that officials are deemed to have an interest if they are trustees, beneficiaries, can influence investment decisions, or receive distributions from the trust.

REQUIREMENT

Added new requirements stating that public officials and their immediate family must divest digital assets within 90 days if they receive a financial benefit from them.

Added a rule stating that transferring a digital asset to a trust does not satisfy the divestment requirement if the official retains the specific interests listed in the new trust definition.

EXEMPTIONS

Added an exemption for qualified blind trusts that are structured to prevent officials from exercising control over or obtaining knowledge of specific investment holdings.

ELIGIBILITY

Clarified the definition of 'immediate family' to specifically include a spouse, minor child, or unemancipated child.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header and printer's numbers to reflect the document's progression from PN 2607 to PN 3579 and added committee reporting dates.

Floor votes · House Jun 29, 2026

How they voted

131–70

Passed

Total votes 201

Jun 29, 2026

D Democratic102

102 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican99

29 Yea 70 Nay

70% Nay

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jul 9, 2026

Committee

Referred to State Government

upper

Jun 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third consideration and final passage

lower

Jun 29, 2026

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jun 24, 2026

Committee

Re-committed to Appropriations

lower

Jun 24, 2026

Lower · Passed

Re-reported as committed

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Committee

Re-committed to Rules

lower

Jun 10, 2026

Lower · Passed

Reported as amended

lower

Nov 17, 2025

Committee

Referred to State Government

lower

1 primary · 18 co-sponsors