PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The current legislative session is winding down. While both the Pennsylvania House and Senate have two lame-duck session days scheduled after the election, it’s unlikely much will get accomplished in that time.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed 58 bills into law this week, with plans next week to sign legislation that requires school districts to enact bell-to-bell phone bans by the start of the next school year.
He also signed bills that would stiffen penalties for “swatting” — false calls to 911 — that prompt a large police response, require the notification of PFAS in firefighting equipment, a disclaimer if AI is used in commercial advertising or marketing, stiffer penalties for blowing through flashing red lights on a school bus, changes to small games of chance laws to benefit volunteer fire companies and nonprofit organizations, and tighter restrictions on laboratory testing on animals.
But several bills will not make it to the governor’s desk, even ones with bipartisan support such as regulating skill games, e-scooters, data center development, automated license plate readers, or gas station drugs like Kratom or THC, which have no age restrictions.
The legislature was also unable to pass a bill to legalize and tax adult-use marijuana, ethics laws regarding cash gifts to lawmakers, and second-degree murder sentencing.
