New Pennsylvania laws you need to know about for 2024

Right-to-know for state-related universities

The four state-related universities (Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple, and Lincoln) must significantly increase the amount of university personnel salary information that must be disclosed.

See the text of the law at legis.state.pa.us

Advance school enrollment for children of military families

Requires a school district to develop a policy or revise an existing policy to allow a child whose parent or legal guardian is an active member of the armed forces, and has received official military orders to transfer into or within the Commonwealth, to enroll in the school district prior to establishing residency, as conditioned.

See the text of the law at legis.state.pa.us

Government and society

Automatic voter registration

If you renew your driver’s license or state I.D. in Pennsylvania, you can be automatically registered to vote, though you have the choice to opt out of being registered.

People who are not eligible to vote will not be presented with the voter registration screen during any of the DMV processes.

See more coverage on 6abc.com.

Removing racist language in deeds

A new law targets ‘restrictive deed covenants,’ which were “a tool of systemic racism that was written into deeds, barring the sale of properties to people of a particular race, ethnicity, or religious group.”

The new law allows a property owner or homeowner association to file a form with their county’s Recorder of Deeds office to strike a restrictive covenant from their deed without having to pay a fee. The legislation also provides reimbursement for the cost incurred by county recorders.

Read more at legis.state.pa.us

Expansion of property tax/rent rebate program

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program was expanded to nearly 175,000 more Pennsylvania seniors and doubles rebates for many of the 400,000 Pennsylvanians who already qualify.

The expansion of the property tax/rent rebate program raises the maximum rebate for seniors from $650 to $1,000, increases the income cap for renters and homeowners to $45,000 a year, and ties the cap to increases in the cost of living.

Read more at governor.pa.gov

Food

Frozen dessert law repeal

The ‘Frozen Dessert Law’ passed in 1965 was repealed. It required companies to perform monthly sampling and testing of frozen desserts. The bill’s sponsor said it is now unnecessary since there has been a substantial increase at both the state and federal levels of food sanitation laws and regulations since the mid-1960s.

See the text of the law at legis.state.pa.us

Preferred Organic trademark

This legislation permanently established the Pennsylvania Preferred Organic Program in addition to the Pennsylvania Preferred Program.

See the text of the law at legis.state.pa.us

Pets

Pa. dog laws

The following updates were made to Pennsylvania dog laws:

• Dogs now need to be licensed at three months of age, or at the point of transfer to a new owner
• Increases annual and lifetime dog license fees and kennel fees, and authorizes the Department of Agriculture to increase license fees, as specified
• Requires pet shops and kennels offering dogs for sale or adoption to display specified information about the dog
• Adds additional penalties and fines, as delineated, and increases violation fees
• Authorizes the department to revoke a kennel’s license or refuse a kennel license application for individuals convicted of animal cruelty
• Requires dangerous dogs to not only be muzzled and leashed, but also under physical restraint

See the text of the law at legis.state.pa.us