Philadelphia Construction Law Blog

Pennsylvania House Bill 1357 is presently before the Professional Licensure Committee in the House of Representatives. The legislation, which is scheduled for a committee hearing next month, would impose a state wide licensure system on the plumbing trades in Pennsylvania if passed.

We have continued to follow legislation put forth in the Pennsylvania legislature that seeks to close a loophole in the criminal code that provides exemptions for stalking, harassing, and threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction if it is done during a labor dispute. The newest version, Pennsylvania House Bill 874, has passed out of the House and been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 9-4 vote. It now seems primed to come to the Senate floor for a full vote.

It remains early in both Governor Tom Wolf’s term and the 2015 legislative session. Nonetheless, there is already some legislation which would impact the construction industry making the rounds in Harrisburg.

The Pennsylvania House and Senate ended their 2014 session at the end of last week without passing any bills that deal directly with construction related issues. There was one, however, which was under consideration and is worth watching when the legislature returns to Harrisburg.

President Obama recently signed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act into law. The bill had overwhelming support from all sectors of the construction labor workforce and was a bipartisan effort in both houses of Congress.

The introduction of licensure bills in the Pennsylvania state legislature has become quite a regular occurrence over the last 10 years. The efforts have included attempts to establish licensing requirements for electricians, plumbers, crane operators, and a number of other trades. A good deal of debate remains about the idea generally.

Although introduced as part of the 2013 legislative session, House Bill 427 now seems to be gaining some momentum in the state legislature. The bill, whose primary sponsor is Representative Readshaw, would impose a number of new rules for residential home builders.

After years with little to no change, the legislature in Pennsylvania has spent a good amount of time making revisions to the Mechanic’s Lien Law recently. Just last year we reported on amendments being considered; and more changes are being proposed to the statute as the General Assembly begins its 2013 session.

This being an election year, immigration policy is being debated again in national politics. It is an especially hot topic given the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on Arizona’s immigration law and President Obama’s announcement that he will no longer prosecute illegal immigrants in certain demographics. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has now become part of the debate.

On Friday, June 29, both the House and Senate approved legislation that included an extension of the federal surface transportation reauthorization bill. The legislation provides for an estimated $105 billion in federal funding for highway, transit, safety, and related transportation programs through the end of September 2014.