Labor & Employment

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jul 9, 2026

HB 2558: An Act prohibiting enforcement of covenants not to compete in broadcast employment agreements.

This bill, titled the Broadcast Freemarket Agreement Act, prohibits employers in the radio, television, and digital media industries from enforcing non-compete clauses in employment contracts. It declares such agreements void if they stop workers from moving to other companies or performing services within a specific geographic area after leaving their current job. The law also ensures that employees cannot be forced to sign away these protections, while still allowing employers to maintain confidentiality agreements regarding trade secrets.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill prohibits non-compete clauses, protecting worker mobility and rights in media industries.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jul 9, 2026

HB 2455: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in powers and duties of the Department of Public Instruction and its departmental administrative boards and commissions, further providing for collective bargaining.

This bill grants school administrators in Pennsylvania's first-class cities and school districts the right to engage in collective bargaining with their employers. It allows these administrators to negotiate terms regarding pay, working hours, benefits, and dispute resolution through designated representatives. The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board will handle any disagreements about these bargaining items using the same process applied to other public employees. The changes apply immediately upon the bill's enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill grants school administrators collective bargaining rights, enhancing their ability to negotiate pay, benefits, and working conditions, which supports educator welfare.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly grants school administrators the right to collective bargaining, expanding worker rights and protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 11, 2026

HB 2446: An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in Commonwealth services, establishing the Fire Company Transformational Grant Program.

This bill establishes the Fire Company Transformational Grant Program in Pennsylvania to provide financial support to municipal, volunteer, and combination fire companies. The program will be funded with up to $30 million annually from the Property Tax Relief Reserve Fund and allows grants ranging from $100,000 to $1 million, with a higher limit for consolidated agencies. Eligible fire companies can use the funds to purchase equipment, build or renovate facilities, recruit and retain staff, and support regionalization efforts. To qualify, applicants must meet specific administrative requirements, such as maintaining current contact information and being registered with a public safety answering point. The administering office will set detailed guidelines for the application process, evaluate requests based on established criteria, and require annual reports on how the grants are used.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $30M annually from a reserve fund to establish a grant program for fire companies, directly increasing funding for essential public safety services.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill funds recruitment and retention of fire company staff, directly supporting workforce stability and employment standards.75% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 10, 2026

HB 2189: An Act amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage Act of 1968, further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for exemptions.

HB 2189 amends Pennsylvania's Minimum Wage Act of 1968 to increase the state's minimum wage to $11 per hour starting January 1, 2027, $13 per hour on January 1, 2028, and $15 per hour on January 1, 2029. After 2029, the minimum wage will automatically adjust annually based on inflation data from the Consumer Price Index for the Pennsylvania-New Jersey- Delaware-Maryland area. This bill directly affects all Pennsylvania employers and workers covered under the Minimum Wage Act, including tipped employees who retain their tips. The changes apply to all non-exempt workers in the state, with no new exemptions or special rules added beyond the wage schedule and adjustment mechanism.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases minimum wage to $15/hr by 2029 with inflation adjustments, directly strengthening worker compensation and wages.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House May 7, 2026

HB 2103: An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for the title of the act, for findings and declaration of policy, for right to freedom from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodation, for definitions, for unlawful discriminatory practices and for prohibition of certain real estate practices; providing for protection of religious exercise; and further providing for powers and duties of the commission and for construction and exclusiveness of remedy.

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to clarify that religious or fraternal organizations cannot restrict membership based on race, color, national origin, or ancestry to deny equal access to housing, employment, or public accommodations. It specifically updates Section 5(h)(10) to explicitly prohibit such discrimination under the guise of religious or fraternal affiliation. The change directly affects religious institutions, fraternal organizations, and housing providers operating under existing exemptions. The amendment takes effect 60 days after passage.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents housing discrimination by religious/fraternal organizations under PA Human Relations Act, aligning with tenant protection and equal access to housing.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAmends PA Human Relations Act to prohibit religious/fraternal orgs from discriminating in employment based on race/color/national origin, directly protecting workers' rights under employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Dec 29, 2025

HB 1825: An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for powers and duties of the Commission; and providing for employer policies and procedures.

HB 1825 amends Pennsylvania's Human Relations Act to require employers to establish clear anti-discrimination policies and procedures for handling workplace complaints. It directly affects all businesses and organizations in Pennsylvania that employ people. The bill mandates specific steps for documenting and investigating discrimination claims, such as requiring written procedures for reporting incidents. It also expands the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission's authority to enforce these requirements.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates anti-discrimination policies, documented complaint procedures, and expands enforcement authority to protect workers' rights under PA Human Relations Act.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Nov 24, 2025

HB 1995: An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, in compensation, further providing for rate and amount of compensation.

HB 1995 amends Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation law to adjust benefit calculations based on a trigger percentage tied to state unemployment conditions. If the trigger percentage remains below 250% as of July 1, 2027, then for 2028 and later, the highest quarterly wages used to calculate benefits will be determined by averaging the highest quarter wage and 130% of the second highest quarter wage (capped at the highest amount). If the trigger reaches or exceeds 250% on July 1, 2028, the standard calculation method reverts to the prior formula. This change directly affects unemployed workers in Pennsylvania who receive unemployment benefits under the state's program.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentBill adjusts unemployment benefit calculations to potentially lower base wages when unemployment is low (trigger <250%), reducing worker benefits under normal economic conditions.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Oct 15, 2025

HB 145: An Act amending the act of December 5, 1936 (2nd Sp.Sess., 1937 P.L.2897, No.1), known as the Unemployment Compensation Law, in compensation, further providing for ineligibility for compensation.

HB 145 amends Pennsylvania's unemployment compensation law to clarify when workers lose eligibility for benefits. It directly affects claimants who voluntarily leave jobs, adding specific protections: workers cannot be disqualified for leaving due to disability if suitable work is available, for joining or staying in a union, or to accompany a military spouse relocating due to active duty orders. The bill defines "suitable employment" as work requiring similar skills and paying at least 80% of a worker's previous average weekly wage. These changes aim to prevent unfair disqualifications while maintaining the law's core purpose of providing benefits to eligible unemployed workers.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentAdds protections preventing disqualification for leaving jobs due to disability (suitable work available), union activity, or military spouse relocation - strengthens unemployment eligibility under Labor & Employment policies.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill protects unemployment benefits for workers leaving jobs to accompany military spouses relocating due to active duty orders, supporting military-connected families and veterans' support systems.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 1549: An Act amending the act of January 17, 1968 (P.L.11, No.5), known as The Minimum Wage Act of 1968, further providing for definitions, for minimum wages and for exemptions.

HB 1549 updates Pennsylvania's minimum wage law by establishing new hourly rates for workers in different county classifications, effective starting in 2026. It sets a $15 per hour minimum wage for workers in first-class counties (like Philadelphia) beginning January 1, 2026, with annual cost-of-living adjustments tied to the CPI-U index for the PA/NJ/DE/MD region. For other counties (second, third, fourth, or sixth class based on 2020 census populations), it sets a $12 hourly rate starting in 2026, increasing to $15 by 2028, followed by the same CPI-based annual adjustments. This directly affects all hourly workers in Pennsylvania, with rates varying by county size and population.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill increases minimum wage rates ($15/hr in first-class counties, $12 elsewhere) with annual CPI-U adjustments, directly strengthening wage protections for workers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track

passed · Pennsylvania · House Jun 18, 2025

HB 276: An Act providing for interagency cooperation regarding employee misclassification; and establishing the Employee Misclassification Working Group.

HB 276 creates a permanent Employee Misclassification Working Group to coordinate state agencies addressing worker classification issues. The bill requires departments like Labor and Revenue to collaborate on identifying and resolving cases where employers wrongly classify workers as independent contractors. This working group will develop strategies to protect workers' access to benefits like unemployment insurance and workers' compensation. The law directly affects state agencies managing labor enforcement and workers' rights, aiming to improve interagency efficiency in tackling misclassification.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates working group to resolve misclassification, protecting workers' access to unemployment insurance and workers' comp benefits by requiring agency collaboration.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Labor & Employment

Track