Labor & Employment

in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 30, 2025

HB 418: An Act amending the act of August 31, 1971 (P.L.398, No.96), known as the County Pension Law, providing for County Employees' Defined Contribution Plan.

HB 418 amends Pennsylvania's County Pension Law to replace the traditional pension system with a "County Employees' Defined Contribution Plan" for county workers. It requires county employees to make mandatory payroll deductions into individual retirement accounts, with counties "picking up" these contributions by reducing employee pay (instead of the county paying them directly). The bill establishes separate tracking for employee and employer contributions, mandates employer-defined contributions to employee accounts, and requires all funds to be held in trust for employees' retirement, subject to IRS limits. This change directly affects all county employees participating in the new plan and shifts retirement funding responsibility to individual accounts rather than guaranteed pension benefits.

Topics ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentReplaces guaranteed pension with employee-funded defined contribution plan, reducing employer retirement benefits and shifting financial risk to workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 1155: An Act providing for community solar facilities; imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, electric distribution companies and subscriber organizations; and providing for prevailing wage and labor requirements and for ratepayer protections.

HB 1155 establishes a legal framework for community solar programs in Pennsylvania, allowing multiple subscribers (including renters and low-income households) to share ownership of solar facilities and receive bill credits for the electricity generated. The bill requires electric distribution companies to implement these programs, mandates prevailing wage standards for solar installation workers, and sets protections to ensure subscribers receive guaranteed savings. It directly affects utility companies, community solar organizations, and subscribers - particularly those who cannot install rooftop solar due to housing constraints or income limits. Key provisions include preventing single subscribers from owning over 50% of a facility, requiring at least 50% of capacity to serve small subscriptions (25 kW or less), and ensuring ratepayer costs are managed responsibly.

Topics ✓ EnergySupports EnergyBill establishes community solar framework, mandates utility implementation, requires prevailing wages for solar workers, and ensures ratepayer protections/guaranteed savings. Directly advances renewable energy infrastructure and consumer access t...90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill provides bill credits to renters/low-income households via community solar, reducing housing-related utility costs, aligning with affordable housing indicators.75% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates prevailing wage standards for solar installation workers, directly protecting labor rights and ensuring fair compensation per bill summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Solar Utility Regulation

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 936: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, further providing for definitions and for copayments for subsidized child care.

HB 936 modifies Pennsylvania's child care subsidy program by reducing copayments for parents who work in the child care field. It requires that families where a parent or caretaker is employed as a child-care worker or direct support professional (in either family child-care homes or licensed centers) pay no more than 15% of their annual income for subsidized care, regardless of their income level. This change applies to all qualifying child care settings defined in the bill, including family child-care homes (serving 4-6 unrelated children) and centers (serving 7+ children). The policy aims to lower financial barriers for child care workers seeking subsidized care for their own children.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill reduces child care costs for parents working as child-care workers, making employment in this sector more affordable and sustainable, directly supporting labor and employment for this workforce.95% confidence

Tags Children

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Jun 18, 2025

SB 506: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, providing for Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program.

SB 506 establishes Pennsylvania's Child Care Staff Recruitment and Retention Program within the Human Services Code. It provides qualified child care providers (like certified centers, family homes, or children's institutions with active subsidy agreements) with annual lump-sum payments to fund retention bonuses ($1,000 max per staff member) and recruitment bonuses ($1,000 max per new hire) for staff who directly supervise children. The program requires providers to apply within 45 days of posting, prohibits using funds to replace existing wages, and mandates annual reporting to the legislature on payments, locations, and applications. Providers must use funds strictly for staff bonuses within the fiscal year and maintain records for audits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds child care staff retention/recruitment via state budget allocations ($1,000 max per staff/hire), increasing public service spending under Human Services Code.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides retention/recruitment bonuses ($1k max) for child care staff, directly supporting compensation and job retention in employment sector.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House Jan 16, 2025

HB 186: 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 determination of compensation, appeals, reviews and procedure, further providing for determination of compensation appeals and for decision of referee and further appeals and reviews.

HB 186 amends Pennsylvania's 1936 Unemployment Compensation Law to adjust appeal deadlines for unemployment benefit disputes. It extends the standard appeal window from 21 to 30 days for claimants and employers challenging benefit determinations, and adds a 60-day appeal period when a decision date is revised more than one year after the original notice. These changes directly affect unemployed workers (claimants) and employers who dispute benefit awards or payment decisions. The bill takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends appeal deadlines (21→30 days) and adds 60-day window for revised decisions, giving workers more time to challenge benefit denials per the Unemployment Compensation Law.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 680: An Act amending the act of July 17, 2024 (P.L.846, No.74), known as the Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act, further providing for definitions.

SB 680 amends the existing Fair Contracting for Health Care Practitioners Act by expanding its definition of "health care practitioner." This bill specifically adds speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and respiratory therapists to the list of professionals covered by the act. The original act prohibits the enforcement of certain noncompete agreements for health care practitioners. Therefore, these newly included professionals would also fall under the protections against such noncompete covenants.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands protections for additional healthcare practitioners by removing noncompete barriers, improving access to care for patients.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands noncompete protections to speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, and others under existing healthcare worker protections, advancing workers' rights by preventing restrictive agreements.95% confidence

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate Aug 12, 2025

SB 72: An Act amending the act of October 13, 2010 (P.L.506, No.72), known as the Construction Workplace Misclassification Act, further providing for definitions, for improper classification of employees and for criminal penalties; providing for private right of action; and further providing for administrative penalties, for retaliation for action prohibited, for availability of information, for use of penalty funds and for funding.

SB 72 strengthens Pennsylvania's Construction Workplace Misclassification Act by increasing penalties for employers who wrongly classify workers as independent contractors. It adds criminal penalties (misdemeanors to felonies based on prior offenses), creates a private right for misclassified employees to sue for triple back pay plus attorney fees, and expands debarment authority to exclude violators from public construction projects for up to five years. The bill directly affects construction employers, workers on public projects, and contractors doing state work, while prohibiting retaliation against those reporting violations. These changes aim to enforce proper worker classification and compensation under the existing 2010 law.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill increases penalties for misclassifying workers, allows lawsuits for triple back pay + fees, and debars violators from public projects, directly protecting worker rights and wages.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Gig Economy Labor Standards

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in committee · Pennsylvania · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 709: An Act providing for violence prevention committees in health facilities, for duties of committees, for workplace violence reporting requirements and for powers and duties of the Department of Labor and Industry; and imposing fines and administrative penalties.

SB 709, known as the Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act, mandates that all health facilities in Pennsylvania establish violence prevention committees. These committees, comprised of both management and non-managerial employees, are responsible for conducting risk assessments, developing written workplace violence prevention programs, and providing employee training. The bill also requires employees to report incidents of workplace violence and prohibits retaliation against those who report. The Department of Labor and Industry is granted powers and duties related to these requirements, and the bill imposes fines for non-compliance.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates violence prevention committees, requires employee training/reporting, prohibits retaliation - directly enhances workplace safety protections for healthcare workers.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Workplace Safety

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in committee · Pennsylvania · House May 5, 2025

HB 1393: An Act amending the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971, in tax credit and tax benefit administration, further providing for definitions; providing for paid family and medical leave tax credit; and establishing the Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Program.

House Bill 1393 establishes the Family and Medical Leave Tax Credit Program, offering a state tax credit to businesses that provide paid family and medical leave to their employees. This credit is available to business firms in the Commonwealth that have already received the federal family and medical leave tax credit. To qualify, businesses must apply to the Department of Community and Economic Development, providing proof of their federal credit, with the state credit matching the federal amount received. The total amount of these state tax credits is capped at $100,000,000 annually, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis, and cannot exceed a business's tax liability.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes state tax credit for businesses providing paid leave, reducing their tax burden as part of tax credit program under Tax Reform Code.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProvides tax credit for businesses offering paid medical leave, enabling employees to access healthcare without income loss, improving patient access.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates tax credit for businesses offering paid family/medical leave, expanding worker benefits through state incentive matching federal program.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Paid Leave

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passed · Pennsylvania · Senate Mar 24, 2026

SB 614: An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.343, No.176), known as The Fiscal Code, providing for primary care workforce initiative; and making an appropriation.

SB 614 amends Pennsylvania's Fiscal Code to establish a state-funded initiative supporting workforce development for Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which are community health centers serving rural and underserved areas. The bill directly affects FQHCs by providing funding to recruit and retain primary care staff, addressing documented shortages in these facilities. Key provisions include creating a dedicated funding stream within the state budget specifically for FQHC workforce expansion, with appropriations to cover hiring and training costs. This policy change aims to strengthen primary care access in communities with limited healthcare resources through targeted financial support.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates dedicated state appropriation for FQHC workforce development, directly increasing budgeted spending on essential healthcare services for underserved communities.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds FQHC workforce development to address staff shortages in community health centers serving underserved areas, directly strengthening primary care access.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds recruitment/retention for FQHC primary care staff, directly addressing workforce shortages in underserved healthcare settings, advancing employment standards.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Primary Care Workforce Development

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