Legislation

Below are a number of helpful links where you can research pending legislation and bills that were signed into law, watch Senate session live online, and also read more about the committees that I currently serve on and more.

Legislation Introduced by Senator Fontana | 2023-2024 Legislative Session

3-D Printing Firearms and “Ghost Guns” (with Hughes)

SB  48 - 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 January 19, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Kearney, Street, Kane, Schwank, Dillion, Costa, Cappelletti, Tartaglione, Comitta, Collett, Santarsiero

SB  49 - Amends Title 18 to ensure an 80% receiver is considered a “firearm” for purposes of the Uniform Firearm Act.

Referred to Judiciary 19, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Kearney, Street, Kane, Schwank, Dillion, Costa, Cappelletti, Tartaglione, Comitta, Collett, Santarsiero

Changes to the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law for Pittsburgh

SB 202 – Would provide Allegheny County land banks with an expedited sheriff sale process as well as lower the redemption period of a property from 9 months to 3 months.

Referred to Urban Affairs and House on January 19, 2023
Reported as Committed in Urban Affairs on May 9, 2023 (11-0)
Reported as Committed in Appropriations on June 7, 2023 (24-0)
Senate Final Passage on June 7, 2023 (50-0)
Reported as Committed in House Housing and Community Development on June 13, 2023 (21-0)
Reported as Committed in House Appropriations on June 22 (37-0)
House Final Passage on June 22 (149-53)
Signed by the Senate on June 26, 2023
Signed by the House on June 27, 2023
Signed by the Governor on July 5, 2023
Act 4 of 2023

Co sponsors: L. Williams, Costa, Brewster, Argall, Saval, Robinson

Green Alert for Veterans

SB 203 - Would warn the public if an at-risk veteran is missing.

Referred to Law and Justice on January 31, 2023
Reported as Committed on May 10, 2023 (11-0)
Laid on the Table on June 6, 2023

Co sponsors: Kearney, Haywood, Brewster, Schwank, Dillion, Kane, Costa, Laughlin, Comitta, Cappelletti, Tartaglione, Stefano, Vogel, Hughes

Extreme Risk Protection Order

SB 204 - 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 January 31, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Kearney, Street, Kane, Schwank, Collett, Dillion, Costa, Brewster, Cappelletti, Tartaglione, Comitta, Santarsiero, Williams, Hughes, Saval, Muth, Flynn, Miller

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

SB 205 - 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 January 31, 2023
Reported as Committed on May 2, 2023 (11-0)
Re-Referred to Rules and Executive Nominations on May 9, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Santarsiero, Hughes, Brewster, Kearney, Comitta, Schwank, Tartaglione, Costa, Laughlin, J. Ward, Muth, Street, Kane, L. Williams, Farry

SB 206 - 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 February 21, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Santarsiero, Hughes, Brewster, Kearney, Comitta, Schwank, Tartaglione, Costa, J. Ward, Street, Muth, Kane

SB 207 - 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 January 31, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Santarsiero, Hughes, Brewster, Kearney, Comitta, Schwank, Tartaglione, Costa, J. Ward, Muth, Street, Kane

SB 208 - 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 January 31, 2023

Co sponsors:  Haywood, Santarsiero, Hughes, Brewster, Kearney, Comitta, Schwank, Tartaglione, L. Williams, Costa, J. Ward, Muth, Street, Kane

Mail in Ballots

SB  401- Changes Pennsylvania’s voting system so that all elections would be conduct entirely by mail and permits for pre-canvassing.  Also establishes ballot drop boxes in each county.

Referred to State Government on March 15, 2023

Co Sponsors:  Kane, Costa, Muth, Collett, Santarsiero

Constitutional Minimum Wage Increase

SB 539 - A constitutional amendment that asks the voters if they approve raising the state's mimimum wage to $15 per hour beginning January 1, 2025.  For each year thereafter, Pennsylvania's minimum wage would be adjusted to inflation.

Referred to State Government on March 28, 2023

Co sponsors:  Comitta, Schwank, Kane, Costa, Collett, Street, Dillon

Abolishment of the Statute of Limitations for Victims of Sexual Abuse, Assault, and Misconduct (with Muth, Collett, Kearney, Santarsiero, L. Williams)

SB 578 - 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 19, 2023

Co sponsors:  Hughes, Haywood, Comitta, Dillion, Cappelletti, Tartaglione, Kane, Street

Casino Smoking Ban Compromise

SB 704 - Would allow a casino to choose between going smoke-free or completely enclosing a smoking area of the casino and installing an adequate ventilation system to eliminate the permeation of smoke into the nonsmoking areas.

Referred to Health and Human Services on May 23, 2023

Co sponsors: Brewster, Schwank, Hutchinson

Mobile Payment for Small Games of Chance (with Robinson)

SB 667 - Would modernize the Small Gamees of Chance law to allow mobile payment services.

Referred to

Co sponsors: Phillips-Hill, Flynn, Bartolotta, Stefano, Hutchinson, J. Ward

Ban Spot Appeals of Assessments (with Argall)

SB 718 - Would remove a taxing jurisdiction’s ability to appeal the assessment of a property based solely on the sale of the property.

Referred to Urban Affairs and Housing on May 31, 2023

Co sponsors: Dush, DiSanto, Costa, Schwank, Culver, Brewster, Stefano, Regan 

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 May 11, 2023

Co sponsors:

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 May 11, 2023

Co sponsors:

Prohibiting Annual or Lifetime Limits on Health Insurance Policies

SB 52 - Prohibits health insurance policies within the Commonwealth from imposing either an annual or lifetime limit.

Referred to Banking and Insurance on May 11, 2023

Co sponsors:

Legionnaires’ Disease Risk Management (with Aument)

SB 571 - Would codify ASHRAE-188 to determine where there is a risk of Legionella pneumophila growth in certain buildings plumbing systems and the actions building owners must take to mitigate or reduce the risk going forward. The bill also requires routine testing of the system’s water for the bacteria.

Referred to Environmental Resources and Energy on May 17, 2023

Co sponsors:  Hughes, Brewster, Vogel, Miller, Culver, Costa, Kane, Schwank