Technology (Local Government)

This bill amends Pennsylvania's Municipalities Planning Code to allow local governments to temporarily halt the submission of new data center development applications. Under the new provision, a municipality can adopt a resolution at a public meeting to pause these submissions for up to 180 days, a period that begins retroactively from the date of public notice. During this pause, local authorities may update their zoning laws regarding data centers, and any applications received while the pause is in effect will be evaluated under the new rules. The legislation defines a data center as a facility primarily used for housing servers or data storage systems with specific backup power and cooling infrastructure.

HB 2177 updates publication requirements for proposed ordinances in Pennsylvania boroughs, cities, and counties. It mandates that when publishing a proposed ordinance, municipalities must include a detailed summary covering tax/fee changes, penalties, and fund-related provisions (like payments or restrictions), along with references to where the full text can be viewed online or at a physical location. This applies to all proposed ordinances before council votes, ensuring the public has clear access to key details. The bill does not change the content of ordinances but standardizes how they are communicated to residents.