Governor Shapiro signs 10 new Pennsylvania laws

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WTAJ) — Governor Josh Shapiro signed 10 bills into law on July 8. The new laws are centered around roads and vehicles, insurance companies, service animals and funding.

Roads, vehicles and vacant lots

House Bill 816 now requires tow truck operators to take photographic evidence of the violation for which a vehicle is being towed or removed. The evidence must also be shown when a person claims the vehicle.

Previously, it was deemed difficult for drivers to prove their “innocence” in these cases because tow truck operators were not required to take photos.

House Bill 2233 exempts tow truck operators from violations of state traffic laws and local ordinances while acting “at the direct instruction of a law enforcement officer” in the immediate response to an emergency.

Senate Bill 645 now provides a ten-year limitation for acquiring titles to vacant land for gardens in cities defined as “first class.” First class cities are defined as having over one million residents.

Licensing, funding and pension buybacks

Senate Bill 82 will now add license fee exemptions for service dogs that are used by fire departments, sheriff offices or in the performance of rescue services or medical emergency services. Previously, the exemption only existed for any municipal or state police department/agency.

Senate Bill 149 focuses on fighting blight in communities by establishing a county demolition and rehabilitation fund in each county. The fund is optional for counties to join.

The fund established may be used by the county, any not-for-profit or pro-profit corporation that has a contract with the county or a taxing district, redevelopment authority, land bank or other government entity, for the demolition or rehabilitation of blighted property located in the county.

Senate Bill 464 permits full-time municipal and regional police officers to buy back up to five years of previous police employment service for pension benefit purposes. Previously, if an officer transferred to a different police department, he or she would likely forfeit any accrued service and start fresh in the new department’s pension system.

Senate Bill 916 created a new special registration license plate for Pennsylvania Sportsmen. The plate is meant to celebrate those who hunt, fish and are active in Penn’s Woods. The proceeds from this plate will be allocated to promoting youth hunting and fishing education in Pa.

Company law, real estate and electronics

Senate Bill 1173 now gives wholesale transactions the same level of transparency and uniformity as other real estate transactions. Residential wholesaling involves the practice of transferring property between buyer and seller through a third-party equitable interest.

Previous state law did not address wholesale, leaving buyers and sellers potentially unaware that they were a party in the transaction.

House Bill 1477 provides authorization for digital submissions and electronic transmittals that come from a proposed plan or amendment in municipalities.

House Bill 2096 amended the Insurance Company Law of 1921. Surplus lines licensee may now charge a service fee for the placement of a surplus line insurance policy in addition to a commission received from an insurer.

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