Pennsylvania Bills: June 2025

This June, the Pennsylvania House introduced 229 bills, and the Senate introduced 102. Among these, numerous bills could significantly impact small businesses—some offering valuable support, others posing potential challenges. In the coming emails, I’ll highlight key proposals, including their implications for small business owners like you, to keep you informed and engaged.

The Bill:  No Bill#  (Senator Boscola)

• Title: 2 Year Budget Plan

• What Does it Mean: A two-year budget cycle would bring much-needed stability and predictability to the process. It would encourage long-range planning by state agencies and organizations that depend on state support.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: We Support: Small businesses thrive on predictability, and a two-year cycle could reduce the chaos of annual budget fights.

The Bill: No Bill# (Senator Boscola)

• Title: Reducing the Size of General Assembly

• What Does it Mean: The House of Representatives would decrease from 203 members to 101 members, and the Senate would decrease from 50 members to 38 members.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: We Support: This may not have a direct implications to small business but a reduced salaries would increase the state income as long as it is not spent.

The Bill: No Bill# (Representative James Struzzi)

• Title: Pennsylvania Prosperity Plan

• What Does it Mean: Unleash Pennsylvania’s ENERGY Industry, Support EFFICIENT Government, Provide a Student-Centered EDUCATION

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: We would Support but waiting for the full Bill.  

Among these, numerous bills could significantly impact small businesses—some offering valuable support, others posing potential challenges. In the coming emails, I’ll highlight key proposals, including their implications for small business owners like you, to keep you informed and engaged.

The Bill: SB49 (Senator Daniel Laughlin)

• Title: Establishing a Cannabis Control Board

• What Does it Mean: Cannabis Control Board (CCB), would have oversight of both the state’s Medical Marijuana Program and the currently unregulated products proliferating throughout the Commonwealth.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Neutral.  Could be a bill in preparation of legalizing marijuana.

The Bill:  HB1697 (Representative Frank Burns)

• Title: Taxpayer Prevention Against Fraud Act

• What Does it Mean: Recovering millions of dollars in taxpayer money from people who cheat state programs. We need a false claims act.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Neutral.  It sounds good but we need to wait and see how it would be implemented.  Will there be unintended consequences for small businesses?

The Bill: HB1656 (Representative Jessica Benham)

• Title:  Indoor Air Quality Improvement Act

• What Does it Mean: Legislation to create a tax credit for individuals who incur expenditures related to indoor air quality improvement. It will provide for greater public education on ways to improve indoor air quality.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position:  Neutral. Small businesses could face challenges if the tax credit’s eligibility criteria are complex or if the application process adds administrative burdens. Are there hidden compliance costs or overly stringent air quality standards that burden small businesses?

The Bill: HB 1687, 1688, 1690, 1691, 1692 (Representative Seth Grove)

• Title Unemployment Compensation Equity Package

• What Does it Mean: Bills to make our UC system fair for those who pay in, and those who truly need it. 

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: We Support:!!!!!! These bills align with interests of small businesses, could reduce burdens on employers and tighten eligibility to prevent misuse. And…. incredibly well written bill that covers all the bases.

The Bill:  SB889 (Senator Steven Santarsiero)

• Title: Modernizing Pennsylvania’s Equal Pay Law

• What Does it Mean: a bill that recognizes women equally for the value of their work.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Questions… Will there be an amendment that provide small business exemptions, compliance support, or phased implementation to mitigate costs?  Don’t we have the Fair Labor Standard Act?

The Bill: SB478 (Senator Frank Farry)

• Title: Establishing the Office of Employee Ownership

• What Does it Mean: establish the Office of Employee Ownership through the DCED. The expressed goal of the office is to provide educational, financial, and technical assistance to existing employee-owned companies and those firms seeking to retain jobs by restructuring an existing business into an employee-owned enterprise.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Questions…is this a free service?  What are the salaries of the appointed Office?  How many state employees will it require?  Does this take away from our private attorney work?

The Bill:  HB 1617 (Representative Kyle Donahue)

• Title:  General Contractor Responsibility

• What Does it Mean: ensures workers are paid for their labor. It will also help increase demand for businesses with clean records and no past labor violations. Lastly, should general contractors hold government contracts, this bill ensures that public funds are properly used on a given project. 
•  The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Oppose. Deep concerns about potential administrative or compliance costs. We would advocate for provisions to protect small contractors from excessive regulation. The plus side is, it is not asking all contractors to be unionize at least.

The Bill:  SB 893 (Senator Dawn Keffer)

• Title:  Independent Contractor Verification for Home Improvement Contractors

• What Does it Mean:  Simplify the process to confirm independent contractor status in Pennsylvania.  This bill wants the Department of Labor to recognize The Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act (HICPA) requirement that contractors already register with the Attorney General’s office.  It essentially removes bureaucratic burdens.
• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Support. It reduces government overreach, redundancy and simplifies an already time-consuming process.

The Bill:  SB 853 (Senator Art Haywood)

• Title: Small Business Minimum Wage Tax Credit

• What Does it Mean: The tax credit works by reducing a small business’s withholding tax as Pennsylvania’s minimum wage increases to $15 per hour over a period of two years.

• The Go Big Small Biz Network’s Position: Oppose.  Small business owners are not interested in subsidizes or tax credits.  They just want to run their business without mandates. Tax credits are a temporary fix that doesn’t address the underlying burden of a mandated wage hike, which could strain small businesses with tight margins, especially in industries like retail or food service.