Legislation Introduced 2019-2020
Legislation Introduced by Senator Fontana | 2019-2020 Legislative Session
Protecting Insurance Coverage for Individuals with Preexisting Conditions (with all Democrats)
SB 50 - Prohibits health insurance companies from using an individual’s preexisting medical conditions to deny or exclude coverage under a health insurance policy.
Referred to Banking and Insurance on March 4, 2019
Co sponsors: Browne
Protecting the Essential Health Benefits for Insurance Policies Sold in Pennsylvania (with all Democrats)
SB 51 - Codifies the federal essential health benefits (EHB) into state law.
Referred to Banking and Insurance on March 4, 2019
Co sponsors:
Assault Weapons Ban
SB 292 - Bans assault weapons as well as the sale of gun magazines with a capacity of more than 10 rounds.
Referred to Judiciary on February 14, 2019
Co sponsors: Santarsiero, Killion, Farnese, Muth, Schwank, Hughes, Costa, Haywood, Collett, Blake, Tartaglione, Street
Extreme Risk Protection Order
SB 293 - Grants family members and law enforcement the ability to petition a court to temporarily suspend an individual’s access to firearms if there is documented evidence that an individual is a threatening harm to themselves or others.
Referred to Judiciary on February 14, 2019
Co sponsors: Hughes, Schwank, Dinniman, Costa, Street, Blake, Santarsiero, Leach. Haywood, Muth, Killion, H. Williams
Early Voting
SB 294 - Amends the Pennsylvania Election Code to provide for early voting in primaries and elections.
Referred to State Government on February 14, 2019
Co sponsors: Farnese, Blake, Hughes, Brewster, Costa, Street, Collett, Haywood, Boscola, Yudichak, Browne, Iovino, H. Williams
First Time Home Buyer’s Savings Account (with Mensch)
SB 309 - Allows first-time homebuyers to deposit money into a savings account to be used exclusive for the purchase of a first home, and the money can be deducted from one’s state income tax.
Referred to Urban Affairs and Housing on February 19, 2019
Reported as Committed on March 27, 2019 (11-0)
Re-referred to Appropriations on April 9, 2019
Co sponsors: Scarnati, Gordner, Browne, Killion, Argall, K.Ward, Bartolotta, Stefano, J. Ward, Phillips-Hill, Costa, Hughes, Blake, Farnese, Sabatina, Schwank, Brewster, Boscola, Yudichak, Haywood, Martin, Dinniman, H. Williams, Iovino
Minimum Wage Rate in Allegheny County
SB 426 – Would exempt Second Class Counties (Allegheny) from the provision in Act 112 of 2006 that prevents local municipalities from establishing their own minimum wage regulations.
Referred to Labor and Industry on March 11, 2019
Co sponsors: L. Williams, Hughes, Costa, Tartaglione
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
SB 427 - Would require carbon monoxide detectors in dorms of institutions of higher education including universities within the State System of Higher Education, community colleges, State-related institutions, and any college or university which is operated not for profit.
Referred to Education on March 11, 2019
Co sponsors: Santarsiero, Brewster, Dinniman, Haywood, Hughes, Kearney, Browne, Costa, Tartaglione, H. Williams
SB 428 - Would require carbon monoxide detectors in lodging establishment including a hotel, motel, inn, guest house, hostelry or other structure that provides temporary accommodations.
Referred to Community, Economic and Recreational Development on March 11, 2019
Co sponsors: Santarsiero, Brewster, Dinniman, Hughes, Browne, Costa, Tartaglione, Haywood, H. Williams
SB 429 - Would require carbon monoxide detectors in schools which include a public school, nonpublic school, charter school, regional charter school, cyber charter school.
Referred to Education on March 11, 2019
Co sponsors: Santarsiero, Brewster, Dinniman, Hughes, Browne, Costa, Tartaglione, Haywood, H. Williams
SB 430 - Would require carbon monoxide detectors in child care facilities including a boarding home for children, child care center and a nursery school that is licensed and regulated by the Commonwealth.
Referred to Health and Human Services on March 11, 2019
Co sponsors: Santarsiero, Brewster, Dinniman, Hughes, Browne, Costa, Tartaglione, Haywood, H. Williams
3-D Printing Firearms (with Hughes)
SB 496 - Amends Title 18 to ensure a 3D-printed firearm is subject to the Uniform Firearm Act and to prohibit individuals from printing a firearm without a federal firearm manufacturing license.
Referred to Judiciary on March 29, 2019
Co sponsors: Santersiero, Schwank, Tartaglione,Kearney, Leach, Blake, H. Williams
Anti-Harassment Training
SB 498 - Would require employers covered under the Pa. Human Relations Act to provide interactive, biennial training for all employees with explanations and examples of different acts that would constitute unlawful discriminatory, harassing or retaliatory conduct. The bill will also mandate that employees be educated on the procedure to file a complaint.
Referred to Labor and Industry on April 3, 2019
Co sponsors: Farnese, Leach, Muth, Santersiero, Haywood, Blake, Brewster, Schwank, Costa, Leach, H. Williams
Abolishment of the Statute of Limitations for Victims of Sexual Abuse, Assault, and Misconduct (with 19 democrats)
SB 540 - Amends Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) to eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations (SOL) for sexual abuse, assault and misconduct victims whose abuse happened at any age; provide a 2 year civil window to revive previously expired SOL claims, and; also provide a 6-month delay to the window in which survivors who wish to voluntarily settle their claim outside the court system are able to do so.
Referred to Judiciary on April 10, 2019
Co sponsors:
Prohibiting Discrimination Based on an Individual's Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity or Expression (with all Democrats)
SB 614 - Currently, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibits discrimination in the areas of employment, housing and accommodations based on an individual’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, education status, handicap, or disability. This would add discrimination based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression.
Referred to Labor and Industry on May 1, 2019
Co sponsors:
Green Alert for Veterans
SB 734 - Would warn the public if an at-risk veteran is missing.
Referred to Law and Justice on June 10, 2019
Co sponsors: Costa, Farnese, Tartaglione, Hughes, Blake, Kearney, Yudichak, K. Ward, Stefano, Browne, Brewster, H. Williams
Uncapping the Film Production Tax Credit (with Hughes)
SB 816 - Would uncap the Film Production Tax Credit.
Referred to Finance on August 7, 2019
Co sponsors: Collett, Killion, Farnese, Costa, Brewster, Bartolotta
Absentee Voting Reform (with Schwank, Santarsiero, and Boscola)
SB 818 - Adopts a universal “no-excuse” absentee voting, establishing a permanent absentee voter status, and amending the timeframe and deadlines for absentee voting. It also will make changes to the absentee voting by ensuring the integrity of the process while simplifying the application and submission process, and to ensure that all legitimate votes are counted.
Referred to State Government on August 7, 2019
Co sponsors: Farnese, Kearney, Costa, Hughes, Muth, Yudichak, Haywood, Brewster
Mail in Ballots
SB 1129 – Change Pennsylvania’s voting system so that all elections would be conduct entirely by mail. Ballots would be mailed out before Election Day and voters would be given several days to determine who they would like to vote for.
Referred to State Government on April 30, 2020
Co Sponsors: Brewster, Farnese, Santarsiero, Muth, Costa, Iovino, H. Williams, Haywood, Boscola, Blake
Real Estate Waive (with Boscola, Phillips-Hill, Martin and Scavello)
SB 1135 – Requires the Secretary of the Department of Community and Economic Development to issue a waiver to the Governor’s COVID-19 Business Closure Order to all real estate related activities that can adhere to social distancing practices and other mitigation measures.
Referred to Community, Economic and Recreational Development on April 30, 2020
Co sponsors: Mensch, Schwank, Stefano, Killion, Baker, Argall, J. Ward, Dinniman, Mastriano, Arnold, Regan
Civilian Police Review Boar
SB 1208 – Creates an independent review board in each county will allow the people to decide when unjustifiable actions have been made by the police rather than an internal investigation.
Referred to Law and Justice on July 10, 2020
Co sponsors: L. Williams, Muth, Costa, Haywood, Street, Kearney, Farnese, Santarsiero, Hughes, Boscola
Tax Exemption for Personal Protective Equipment
SB 1258 – Would make facial masks “clothing” and not an “accessory” therefore tax exempted. The same would go for items like rubber or latex gloves that can be found in household goods and any PPE purchased and worn by nonproduction personnel.
Referred to Finance on August 18, 2020
Co sponsors: H. Williams, Brewster, Dinniman, Costa, Mastriano, Blake
Genetic Test Results and Insurance Companies
SB 1284 – Prohibit life and long-term care insurance companies from soliciting genetic information or using genetic test results to cancel, limit or deny coverage or to establish differential premium rates based on the results.
Referred to Banking and Insurance on September 8, 2020
Co sponsors: Schwank, Muth Browne, Brewster, Kearney, Tartaglione, Costa
Legionnaires Disease Prevention
SB 1285 – Requires the owners and operators of certain buildings to take actions in order to prevent and control Legionella bacteria.
Referred to Environmental Resources and Energy on September 8, 2020
Co Sponsors: Farnese, Santarsiero, Tartaglione, Brewster, Costa
Casino Smoking Ban
SB 1304 - Prohibits any kind of smoking in all areas of a casino
Referred to
Co sponsors: Muth, Tartaglione, Costa, Schwank Blake
Access to Free Full-Day Kindergarten Impact Study
SR 84- A comprehensive study would take place to explore the impacts of providing universal access to free, full-day kindergarten for all 5-year-olds in Pennsylvania.
Referred to Education on April 25, 2019
Co sponsors: Farnese, Leach, Brewster, Santarsiero, Schwank, Costa, Blake, Tartaglione, Hughes
Committee Consideration of Legislation
SR 195 – Amends Senate Rule 14 by granting the prime sponsor of a bill/resolution the ability to request a public meeting or hearing within 10 legislative days of the request and would require a vote on the bill/resolution within 10 legislative days after the hearing.
Referred to Rules and Executive Nominations on September 20, 2019
Co sponsors: Collett, L. Williams, Blake, Hughes, Street, Brewster, Tartaglione, Muth, Farnese, A. Williams
No Interest Loans for Working Federal Employers that are Ineligible for UC Benefits (with all Democrats)
Creates a no interest loan fund to provide short term loans to federal employees that are working during a federal shutdown and hence ineligible for unemployment benefits.
Referred to
Co sponsors: K Ward
Lead-Free Rental Housing Registration
Establishes a statewide rental housing registry of certified lead-free homes. Additionally, would prohibit an owner of a residential rental unit from renting to a household with a child under the age of six years in age unless the property has been certified as lead free in regards to paint and drinking water.
Referred to
Co sponsors: Tartaglione, Farnese, Hughes, Baker, Costa, Brewster