Shapiro signs 12 new bills into Pennsylvania law

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Governor Josh Shapiro signed a dozen bills into law in the past week. The new laws focus on vehicle registration and highway law, the manufacturing of certain goods, advertisement and security.

Vehicle registration and highway vegetation

House Bill 73 , which was first introduced in the 2021-2022 Legislative Session, encourages PennDOT to create a registration plate for veterans so that they may display their service on their vehicles.

This law is part of an ongoing U.S.-led international coalition of over 30 countries who are against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The operation is commonly referred to as Operation Inherent Resolve.

House Bill 797 requires the Department of Transportation to plant vegetation which has been identified as being native to Pennsylvania. PennDOT is also required to develop a list of native vegetation species that can be used in roadside work that is done throughout the Commonwealth.  The use of specific species in a given area will be based on the recommendations of the PA Department of Agriculture’s Controlled Plant and Noxious Weed Committee.

Manufacturing, advertising and credit security

House Bill 1333 amends the Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act to allow for the use of recycled material. The Stuffed Toy Manufacturing Act was passed in 1961 and did not contemplate the use of recycled material in stuffed toys.

However, as manufacturing processes have evolved, the use of recycled material has become more prevalent. Many manufacturers and retailers have set sustainability goals for their products which can only be met by using recycled materials.

Senate Bill 824 provides access to free credit reports and monitoring in the event of a data breach. The law amends the Breach of Personal Information Notification Act by requiring businesses and organizations to notifying the Attorney General when a data breach impacts more than 500 individuals. Those affected will be offered access to a free credit report once a month for a period of six months following notification and credit monitoring services for one year.

House Bill 1818 adds an option the the Self-Service Storage Facility Act for facility owners to publish a copy of the information that was in the newspaper advertisement on a publicly accessible Internet website at the same time. If the newspaper fails to publish or there are mistakes with the content of the advertisement, then this redundant advertisement will serve as proof of advertisement.

Senate Bill 1084 updates the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)  to provide clear and uniform rules to govern digital asset transactions.

The law establishes guidelines to govern transactions involving a broad class of digital assets known as “controllable electronic records,” which includes assets such as virtual currencies, non-fungible tokens, and electronic accounts as well as payment obligations.

Licensing and company law

House Bill 1490 modernizes Pennsylvania’s Acupuncture Law. The new law provides title protection for licensed acupuncturists and practitioners. Acupuncturists licensed in other states are now able to conduct educational events as well as volunteer in Pa. in the event of an emergency.

Senate Bill 403 amends the Engineer’s Registration Act to remove barriers to becoming a licensed professional engineer.

Before the bill was signed into law, in order for an applicant to be granted licensure as a professional engineer, the applicant must have held an Engineer-In-Training (EIT) certificate and showed proof of four or more years of experience in engineering work performed after the issuance of their EIT certificate.

The law now states that “qualified experience” can apply regardless of whether it was earned before or after the EIT certificate was granted.

House Bill 1754 addresses the lack of awareness among providers and patients regarding the use of biomarker testing. The law standardizes definitions in an area where “lack of common terminology is rampant.”

The law also states that “increasing access to precision medicine avoids treatment or treatment plans that may cause physical or financial detriment.”

Elderly protection, prohibiting fees and cemetery law

House Bill 1760 expands the Slayer Statute to include elder abusers. The Statute states that individuals should not profit from the wrong they commit.

The addition of the abuse provision will bar elder abusers from benefiting from the estate of the abused elder, unless the victim of the abuse knew of the conviction, but still ratified their intent to transfer property, benefit, or interest to the abuser, or if the victim and abuser reconciled following a conviction of elder abuse.

House Bill 109 prohibits cable television, cellular and other telecommunications companies, utility companies and Voice over Internet Protocol companies from charging early termination fees because the individual died before the contract was complete.

Vehicle leases will also be allowed to be terminated early without penalty for this reason. The family will be required to provide in writing the reason for ending the contract and provide a copy of the death certificate.

Senate Bill 887 will now exempt municipalities and counties from certain deposit and registration requirements for cemetery companies.

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