Pennsylvania HB 294: An Act amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and related offenses, providing for whistleblower protection and further providing for nonapplicability of subchapter.

Status: Referred to Agriculture & Rural Affairs (as of 2025-01-23)

State: Pennsylvania · Session: 2025-2026 · Bill: HB 294

Sponsors: Ryan Bizzarro, Benjamin Sanchez, Carol Hill-Evans, Chris Pielli, G. Roni Green, Jeanne Mcneill, John Inglis Iii, Joseph Hohenstein, Kristine Howard, Kyle Donahue, Liz Hanbidge, Malcolm Kenyatta, Mary Jo Daley, Marylouise Isaacson, Maureen Madden, Melissa Cerrato, Melissa Shusterman, Michael Schlossberg, Nancy Guenst, Scott Conklin, Steven Malagari, Tarik Khan

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 238
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 294
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BIZZARRO, McNEILL, SHUSTERMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI,
SANCHEZ, KENYATTA, CERRATO, KHAN, HOHENSTEIN, DONAHUE,
SCHLOSSBERG, HOWARD, DALEY, GREEN AND MADDEN,
JANUARY 23, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS,
JANUARY 23, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and
related offenses, providing for whistleblower protection and
further providing for nonapplicability of subchapter.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 5557.1. Whistleblower protection.
An employee of a business, nonprofit entity or government
entity subject to this subchapter shall be deemed to be an
employee under the act of December 12, 1986 (P.L.1559, No.169),
known as the Whistleblower Law, with regard to a good faith
report of a potential violation of this subchapter. A business,
nonprofit entity or government entity subject to this subchapter
shall be deemed to be an employer under the Whistleblower Law
with regard to a good faith report of a potential violation of
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thi s subchapter.
Section 2. Section 5561(b)(6) introductory paragraph of
Title 18 is amended to read:
§ 5561. Nonapplicability of subchapter.
* * *
(b) Exemptions.--The provisions of this subchapter shall not
apply to the following:
* * *
(6) Conduct performed on animals actively involved in a
bona fide scientific or medical research that is lawful under
the laws of the United States or this Commonwealth relating
to activities undertaken by a research facility that is one
of the following:
* * *
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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