SUPPORT: 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.

OPPOSE: 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.

OPPOSE: SB 9 PN 177 would ban transgender girls and women from participating on athletic teams or in sports from K-college. Trans youth have the right to participate in sports consistent with who they are and denying them that right is blatantly unconstitutional and discriminatory.

OPPOSE: 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.

OPPOSE: SB 686 would create a new, duplicative offense to punish the destruction of requested public records as a third-degree felony. Tampering with public records or information (18 § 4911) already covers the behavior described in SB 686. As such, SB 686 is unnecessary and clearly duplicative. In addition, the third-degree felony grading, even for a first offense, is excessively punitive.

SUPPORT: SB 1150 PN 1399 clarifies PA's Sunshine Act by limiting when public agencies can add items to meeting agendas without 24-hour notice, ensuring that last-minute changes are only allowed under narrow, defined exceptions. It restores the intent of the law by preventing agencies from broadly bypassing transparency requirements and ensuring the public has a meaningful opportunity to stay informed.

OPPOSE: SB 1284 would impose a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence for attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation to commit murder of a law enforcement officer—the same sentence for an actual assault of an officer. This would mandate harsher penalties for attempted offenses than for comparable or more serious completed conduct, eliminate judicial discretion, and prevent courts from tailoring sentences to the specific facts and culpability of the individual before them.

OPPOSE: SB 1286 fundamentally alters the purpose of the careless driving statute by attaching severe criminal penalties to conduct that, by definition, lacks intent. Careless driving is designed to address ordinary negligence, not to impose heightened criminal punishment based solely on a tragic outcome. Law enforcement already has a range of more serious charges available when the facts support a higher level of recklessness or intent, making this expansion unnecessary.

OPPOSE: SB 1293 PN 1598 would ban transgender girls and women from participating on athletic teams or in sports from K-college. Trans youth have the right to participate in sports consistent with who they are and denying them that right is blatantly unconstitutional and discriminatory.

OPPOSE: SB 1295 would require English proficiency in the licensing of commercial drivers. PA already has processes in place to verify legal status and ensure drivers meet federal safety and training standards. This bill would unfairly target immigrants and non-English speakers, undermine core civil rights protections without a clear connection to improved public safety, and invite discriminatory enforcement.

OPPOSE: PA’s mandatory life-without-parole sentences for second-degree murder was ruled unconstitutional because it imposes the harshest of punishment without individualized consideration. SB 1400 PN 1834 is so narrowly drawn that it leaves most impacted individuals without any realistic opportunity for parole. As such, the bill falls short of providing the meaningful relief necessary to address the unconstitutional harms caused by PAs mandatory sentencing scheme.