HB 1811 sets a $400 per acre maximum limit for the Pennsylvania Game Commission when purchasing land for game conservation in counties classified as sixth, seventh, or eighth class. This directly affects the Game Commission’s land acquisition costs for wildlife management in smaller counties. The bill clarifies that this price limit applies exclusively to these specific county classifications, ensuring purchases align with local market values while controlling expenses.
This bill reduces the percentage of interactive gaming tax revenue allocated to public projects from 25% to 22%, directing the remaining 22% to a special account for public interest grants across Pennsylvania. It maintains the existing 3% allocation for the Race Horse Development Trust Fund, which supports licensed racetracks conducting live racing. The change directly affects interactive gaming operators (who pay the tax) and state funding streams for public projects and horse racing. The policy modifies how tax revenue is distributed but does not alter the tax rate itself. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.
SB 243 amends Pennsylvania's 1929 Administrative Code to update rules for disposing of Commonwealth-owned surplus land. It clarifies that "surplus property" excludes state parks, forests, and lands held by specific agencies like the Fish and Boat Commission. The bill requires annual surveys to identify surplus land and mandates a formal disposal plan considering factors like agricultural use, cost savings, local government needs, and fair market value. All sales must follow public notice, competitive bidding, and require the sale price to reflect fair market value or equivalent long-term benefits to the Commonwealth.
HB 399 amends Pennsylvania's Human Services Code to give the Department of Human Services expanded authority to manage public assistance programs. It authorizes the department to set eligibility standards, modify benefits, establish payment rates for providers, use AI for fraud detection, prioritize job training for certain recipients (like able-bodied medical assistance users), and require data sharing between health programs. The bill also includes strict budget constraints, requiring the department to ensure program spending doesn't exceed annual appropriations and prohibiting new consulting contracts without cost-effectiveness justification. This directly affects Pennsylvania residents receiving public assistance, healthcare coverage, and job training services through state-administered programs.
SB 942 sets professional certification standards for auditors in Pennsylvania's Department of the Auditor General. It requires employees conducting forensic audits to hold both Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credentials, while fraud auditors must have a CFE. The bill mandates that new hires meet these qualifications immediately, allows current employees to continue existing audit work temporarily, and requires the department to support staff in obtaining necessary certifications through resources and financial incentives. These changes aim to ensure audits of state and federal funds meet professional standards and quality requirements.
HB 1523 would impose an excise fee on rides provided by transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber or Lyft in Pennsylvania. The bill amends specific sections of state law related to municipalities, public utilities, and transportation to require this fee to be collected on each ride. The fee would directly affect TNC operators, who would be responsible for paying and collecting it from riders. This policy change creates a new revenue stream for transportation-related funds under the amended statutes.
HB 1334 allocates funding from the Workmen's Compensation Administration Fund to Pennsylvania's Department of Labor and Industry, Department of Community and Economic Development, and the Office of Small Business Advocate. It covers expenses for administering the Workers' Compensation Act, Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act, and the Small Business Advocate program for fiscal year 2025-2026, including payments for unpaid bills from the prior fiscal year. The bill directly affects state agencies responsible for worker compensation, occupational disease claims, and small business support services. This is a routine appropriations measure to ensure ongoing operations of these programs, not a policy change. The bill was signed into law as Act No. 3A of 2025 on June 27, 2025.
HB 1794 creates a Waterfront Redevelopment Fund to provide grants for revitalizing waterfront areas across the state. It requires the Department of Community and Economic Development to manage the fund and distribute grants to eligible local projects, such as public access improvements or environmental upgrades. This bill directly affects municipalities, community groups, and developers working on waterfront sites by providing dedicated funding for redevelopment initiatives. The program establishes clear administrative procedures for grant applications and disbursement under the department's oversight.
Tags
Economic Development
SB 450 amends Pennsylvania's Local Option Small Games of Chance Act to modernize regulations for electronic pull-tabs and tavern games. It defines "electronic pull-tab" as games played on personal devices (like phones) connected to licensed locations via secure routers, with specific rules on payment (only bank transfers, no cash) and gameplay. The bill removes previous $2,000 individual prize limits and $35,000 weekly aggregate limits for most games, while adding new raffle rules allowing volunteer fire/ambulance groups to award up to $150,000 annually per raffle under special permits. This directly affects licensed clubs, taverns, and nonprofit organizations running small-scale gambling events, updating their operational rules and prize structures. The changes aim to clarify digital game rules while maintaining exclusions for slot machines and video poker under separate state gambling oversight.
HB 1154 requires Pennsylvania's Department of Health to develop and implement a mobile application targeting Medicaid-eligible individuals for pregnancy, prenatal, postpartum, and infant care programs. The app must provide multilingual resources, connect users to state health services, meet clinical standards from major medical organizations, and operate on Android/iOS platforms. The department must select a vendor through competitive bidding within 90 days, paying $10 per user monthly with an annual cap of $500,000. The bill mandates the vendor to report de-identified usage data, including Medicaid eligibility engagement and app interaction metrics, to the department.
