Legislator
State Representative
Kristine Howard
(D) - Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania House District 167
In Office
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contact info

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Capitol Office

East Wing
P.O. Box 202167
Harrisburg, PA 17120-2167
Phone: 717-783-4088

Malvern Office

Greentree Office Building
40 Lloyd Ave., Suite 309
Malvern, PA 19355
Phone: 610-251-1070
Website
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Vote Record By Category
Category Vote Index Total Score
Reproductive Freedom 100
6
 
Criminal Justice 61
4
 
Due Process 100
3
 
Police Practices 100
3
 
Voting Rights/Elections 100
2
 
Student & Youth Rights 100
1
 
Constitutional Amendment 100
1
 
Racial Equality 100
1
 
First Amendment Rights 100
1
 
Privacy 50
0
Open Government 33
-1
 
All Bills 73
14
 
Rated Bill Votes
Bill Bill Name Motion Vote Date Rating Vote Comments
HB102 Increased penalties for harassment of sports officials House Floor: PN2380, FINAL PASSAGE 10/01/2025 -1 Yea Under current law, penalties for harassment are determined by the alleged actions of the defendant. However, HB 102 would depart from this legal framework by enhancing the penalty from a summary offense to a third-degree misdemeanor based on who the victim is, instead of punishing people based on the extent, content, duration, or severity of harassment, regardless of the target.
HB150 Medical release House Floor: PN2066, FINAL PASSAGE 12/17/2025 1 Yea HB 150 would allow incarcerated people to petition for medical release when they have a substantially diminished ability to function in a correctional facility due to a terminal illness, a chronic and debilitating physical or medical condition or disease, a serious functional or cognitive impairment or deteriorating physical or mental health due to the aging process.
HB166 Raising the burden of proof to impose the death penalty House Judiciary: Report Bill As Committed 02/03/2025 1 Yea After a conviction for first-degree murder, the jury decides whether to impose a life sentence or the death penalty. Juries consider outside factors that could make them more or less inclined to impose the death penalty. HB 166 would require that the state prove—beyond a reasonable doubt—that the aggravating circumstances of a case outweigh any mitigating factors before someone can be sentenced to death, a higher burden of proof than the current requirement of a preponderance of the evidence.
HB282 Providing medical assistance upon reentry House Floor: HB 282 PN 1800, FINAL PASSAGE 06/03/2025 1 Yea HB 282 would authorize the PA Department of Corrections to establish a medical assistance reentry program for incarcerated individuals who are scheduled to be released and returning to their community. This would ensure a continuity of care, so that access to medication, substance use disorder treatment, and case management services are not disrupted.
HB413 Requiring recording of police interrogations House Judiciary: Report Bill As Committed 09/22/2025 1 Yea By requiring the recording of custodial interrogations, HB 413 would ensure that statements admitted in court are reliable, protects against coercion and wrongful convictions, and reduces costly disputes over contested evidence. These protections not only safeguard the rights of the accused but also enhance the credibility of law enforcement and promote public confidence in the justice system.
HB439 CROWN Act House Floor: HB 439 PN 996, FINAL PASSAGE 03/17/2025 1 Yea HB 439, known as the CROWN Act, would amend the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to expand the definition of “race” to include traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles. HB 439 would prohibit racial discrimination of hair texture and protective hairstyles historically associated with race without infringing on an employer's right to implement otherwise valid workplace health and safety rules or policies.
HB458 Post-conviction review for veterans with PTSD or TBI House Floor: PN0440, FINAL PASSAGE 12/16/2025 1 Yea HB 458 would allow incarcerated veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury (TBI) after imprisonment to apply to the court for post-conviction relief, enabling them to present their diagnosis of a mental health disability sustained during or as a result of active duty or training for active duty as a mitigating factor in the crime for which they were charged.
HB490 Expanded protections for journalists House Floor: PN0479, FINAL PASSAGE 02/04/2026 1 Yea Currently, PA state law protects journalists from having to reveal the identity of any confidential sources, but there are other pieces of information that journalists use in their jobs that deserve such protections. HB 490 would extend Pennsylvania’s media shield law to cover all records, information, and documents created or acquired by journalists in their professional duties.
HB670 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act House Judiciary: PN0677, Report Bill As Committed 10/22/2025 1 Yea HB 670 replicates current federal law under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which prohibits physically obstructing access to reproductive health care clinics. If enacted in PA, the bill would protect the fundamental right to access health services without infringing on protected free speech.
HB728 Providing driver's licenses and work permits prior to reentry House Judiciary: Report Bill As Committed 09/22/2025 1 Yea HB 728 would reduce the barriers people experience when transitioning out of incarceration. We should consider all the ways to make re-entry successful for more returning residents. Providing people documentation needed to secure a job, housing and services will be a great improvement.
HB956 Automatic felony enhancement for simple assault against municipal workers House Floor: HB 956 PN 1975, FINAL PASSAGE 07/01/2025 -1 Yea HB 956 would add municipal workers as the fortieth category to the list of officers or employees against whom simple assault would automatically be charged as a second-degree felony aggravated assault. HB 956 would mete out greater punishment based not on the intent or severity of the assault, but rather on the employment status of the victim.
HB1042 PA Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act House Floor: PN1131 A02431 02/04/2026 1 Yea HB 1042 would establish the Earned Vocational Training and Education Credit to allow people incarcerated in state facilities to earn vocational and educational credits against their minimum sentence. These credits would count towards reducing their sentence—10-180 days, depending on the program—making them eligible for parole or short sentence parole earlier than they would otherwise be.
HB1140 Contraceptive Coverage for All Act House Floor: HB 1140 PN 1449, FINAL PASSAGE 06/03/2025 1 Yea HB 1140 would require insurance companies to cover all contraceptive drugs, devices, and other products and services at no cost to the consumer, ensuring that no one loses access to contraception because of their income—and guarantees it for those who need, want, and deserve it.
HB1385 Eliminating fines and limiting court fees imposed on juveniles House Judiciary: PN1890, Report Bill As Amended 11/12/2025 1 Yea Costs, fees, and fines imposed on juveniles undermine public safety, harm youth and families, and create economic and racial disparities. HB 1385 would eliminate juvenile justice system fees and fines, cap restitution costs, and eliminate juvenile court referral for contempt on nonpayment of a summary offense fine.
HB1396 Omnibus election reform House Floor: HB 1396 PN 1688, FINAL PASSAGE 05/13/2025 1 Yea HB 1396 is an omnibus reform bill that would (1) expand voting access (e.g., machine-based early voting, standardized ballot drop box requirements, pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds); (2) modernize and secure our elections (e.g., electronic poll books, recount reform); and (3) address administrative challenges through practical improvements to mail ballot procedures.
HB1604 Increased mandatory firearms training for law enforcement (Fanta’s Law) House Judiciary: PN1920, Report Bill As Amended 10/15/2025 1 Yea HB 1604 would require that all law enforcement officers in an agency located in a county of the second class A undergo and complete mandatory in-service firearms training courses at least four times each year. undergo real-world simulation training at least twice per year to better prepare them for on-duty confrontations. Documentation of all trainings would be required, with officers who fail to complete the training requirements placed on administrative leave until the requirements are met.
HB1613 Child Protection Interrogation Act House Floor: PN1930 A01830 10/08/2025 1 Yea HB 1613 would ensure children are given an opportunity to consult with an attorney prior to a custodial interrogation. Through decades of research we know that children are inherently different from adults in their behavior, mental and emotional maturity, decision-making skills, and ability to use critical reasoning. We also know the dangers associated with coercive interrogation practices, which makes the need for this common-sense reform all the more urgent.
HB1640 Protecting reproductive healthcare records House Judiciary: PN1990, Report Bill As Committed 10/22/2025 1 Yea HB 1640 would protect healthcare records related to reproductive services from disclosure in Pennsylvania civil and criminal actions/investigations.
HB1643 Shielding PA reproductive healthcare providers from out-of-state action House Judiciary: PN1993, Report Bill As Committed 10/22/2025 1 Yea HB 1643 would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from enforcing other states' judgments in cases involving the provision of reproductive healthcare services.
HB1822 Public Servant Data Privacy Act House Judiciary: PN2332, Reported As Amended 10/15/2025 -1 Yea HB 1822 would allow certain elected officials and their family members and close associates to demand that data brokers permanently stop disclosing their personal information. While intended to enhance safety and reduce harassment, HB 1822 raises significant civil liberties and constitutional concerns. It threatens freedom of speech and press, undermines transparency, and could unintentionally weaken democratic accountability.
HB1908 Increased mandatory minimums for repeat violations of protection from abuse orders House Judiciary: PN2386, Report Bill As Committed 11/12/2025 -1 Yea HB 1908 would increase mandatory minimum fines and the possibility of up to two years’ imprisonment for repeated violations of protection from abuse orders. The bill would impose severe penalties for what may be non-violent or technical violations of protective orders (for example, inadvertent contact, miscommunication, or minor violations). Applying such a sanction scheme risks punishments that are disproportionate to the underlying conduct and the risk posed.
HB1909 Enhanced penalties for offenses involving an active protection from abuse order House Floor: PN2595, FINAL PASSAGE 02/02/2026 -1 Yea HB 1909 would replace nuanced, individualized sentencing with a one-size-fits-all penalty enhancement. It introduces mandatory minimum-style consequences under the guise of grading enhancements and would disrupt established sentencing conventions, threaten to swell the incarcerated population, place added strain on the public defense system, and inject constitutional and practical problems where none currently exist.
HB1934 Right to access state agency records House Floor: PN2433, FINAL PASSAGE 11/19/2025 -1 Yea HB 1934 would actually make it harder for people to obtain information in lawsuits against the Commonwealth. The proposed changes would create confusion, inconsistency, and more red tape. Each agency would have to develop its own procedures for handling discovery, leading to delays and inefficiencies that make it harder for Pennsylvanians to hold the government accountable.
HB1935 Sentencing enhancement for terroristic threats House Floor: PN2434, FINAL PASSAGE 02/03/2026 -1 Yea HB 1935 would create a sentencing enhancement for individuals convicted of making terroristic threats against a school or institution of higher education. Current law already classifies such conduct as a felony of the third degree when it causes an evacuation, lockdown, or disruption from normal operations. This bill is unnecessary and counterproductive. Adding a new sentencing enhancement serves only to increase incarceration exposure without adding deterrent value or improving public safety.
HB1957 Protecting reproductive freedom in PA (constitutional amendment) House Floor: PN2711, FINAL PASSAGE 12/17/2025 1 Yea HB 1957 is a proposed PA constitutional amendment that would affirm and protect every Pennsylvanian’s right to privacy with respect to personal, sexual, and reproductive healthcare decisions, including the right to choose or refuse an abortion, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, all without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, or relationship status.
HB2005 Removing PA's mandated waiting period and counseling before abortion House Judiciary: PN2469, Report Bill As Committed 10/22/2025 1 Yea Currently, women seeking an abortion in PA are required to receive mandated counseling and must wait 24-hours before a scheduled procedure. These requirements create unnecessary obstacles and often deter pregnant individuals from accessing abortion care. HB 2005 would remove the medically unnecessary 24-hour waiting period and counseling requirement from current Pennsylvania law.
HR56 Reducing the time it takes to vote House State Government: PN0501, Report Bill As Committed 02/03/2026 1 Yea A resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study looking at the current utilization of poll workers, polling places, and voting machines. This study will help to determine the best course of action moving forward and identify legislative and administrative recommendations to minimize the time needed to vote.
HR63 Study of diversion programs House Judiciary: PN0534, Report Bill As Committed 01/28/2026 1 Yea A resolution that would direct the Joint State Government Commission to study diversion programs in Pennsylvania. Furthermore, the Joint State Government Commission would be directed to make recommendations for improving existing diversion programs as well as establishing new programs.
HR165 Studying pretrial detention practices and detainee populations in PA House Judiciary: Report Bill As Committed 09/22/2025 1 Yea HR 165 is a proposed resolution to study pretrial detention practices and detainee populations in the Commonwealth. A lack of data and transparency related to pretrial detainee populations is a significant problem in PA. Having any data to better understand the issue can only help us as we advocate for reform, especially in the area of cash bail.
SB65 Increased penalties for overtaking a school bus House Judiciary: PN0486, Report Bill As Committed 10/15/2025 -1 Yea SB 65 would increase fines and enhance penalties for repeat violations related to school bus safety. While the intent to protect children is laudable, the evidence shows that increasing penalties will not improve compliance or safety. Current penalties are already severe, including substantial fines and mandatory license suspensions.
Rated Sponored Bills