Pa. Senate votes to make COVID-era outdoor seating regulations permanent, allow more happy hour

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With budget talks ongoing, lawmakers have found something they can largely agree on.

The Pennsylvania Senate voted almost unanimously on Tuesday to make COVID-era regulations on outdoor seating for bars and restaurants permanent.

The changes to outdoor seating regulation date back to 2020, when much of the country was shut down and the CDC advised only gathering outdoors with 6 feet of distance. Many states, including Pennsylvania, created exemptions to regulations that would allow bars and restaurants to seat people outdoors, to safely maintain their business.

House Bill 829 would make those changes permanent.

“These outdoor extension areas were a lifeline,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), in support of the bill. “Restaurants found that these extensions were popular with customers and helped with their bottom line.”

The bill will also allow bars and restaurants to offer “happy hour” discounts up to 24 hours a week, instead of 14.

The legislation passed the Senate 47-3 . It had already passed the House, but it will need another vote in that chamber after a technical amendment was made in the Senate.

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