Pennsylvania HB 1931: An Act providing for a judicial forum for claims for damages stemming from climate disasters, extreme weather attributable to climate change and harms resulting from long-term changes to the climate system.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2421
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1931
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY WEBSTER, HOWARD, HILL-EVANS, PROBST, SANCHEZ,
K.HARRIS AND GREEN, OCTOBER 7, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, OCTOBER 8, 2025
AN ACT
Providing for a judicial forum for claims for damages stemming
from climate disasters, extreme weather attributable to
climate change and harms resulting from long-term changes to
the climate system.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Extreme
Weather Recovery Act.
Section 2. Legislative intent.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) The General Assembly finds that responsible parties
shall be accountable to harmed parties.
(2) The General Assembly explicitly authorizes a right
of action to harmed parties, including individuals,
businesses and associations.
(3) The Commonwealth has a sovereign and compelling
interest in providing a forum for individuals, businesses and
associations sustaining injuries and harms caused by
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19

responsible parties' deceptive behavior and linked to the
harms of responsible parties' products and actions.
(4) It is the intent of the General Assembly to provide
a judicial forum for the efficient, just and equitable
resolution of harmed parties' claims for damages stemming
from climate disasters, extreme weather attributable to
climate change and harms resulting from long-term changes to
the climate system against responsible parties.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Amount in controversy." The damages claimed or relief
demanded by the injured party or parties in a lawsuit.
"Climate disaster." An event that meets any of the following
threshold qualifications and is determined by impact attribution
science or extreme event attribution science to be substantially
worsened or caused by climate change from responsible parties'
products or extreme weather attributable to climate change from
responsible parties' products:
(1) A major disaster as defined by the Federal Emergency
Management Agency Glossary in July 2024.
(2) A catastrophic incident as defined by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency Glossary in July 2024, not
including events linked to terrorism.
(3) An event that does qualify, or would have qualified,
for inclusion on the National Centers for Environmental
Information's Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
program and data list as it existed in July 2024.
(4) A state of emergency or disaster declaration as
20250HB1931PN2421 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

defined in 35 Pa.C.S. § 7301(c) (relating to general
authority of Governor).
"Covered period." The period from 1965 to the effective date
of this section.
"Extreme event attribution science." Research aimed at
understanding how human-induced changes in the global climate
system affect the probability, severity and other
characteristics of extreme weather events such as hurricanes and
heat waves.
"Extreme weather attributable to climate change." Weather,
climate or environmental conditions, including temperature,
precipitation, drought or flooding that are consistent with
impacts or events that are attributable to climate change and
where the intensity, magnitude, location, timing or extent of
the event lie outside the historical distribution of
measurements for that type of event or impact for a particular
place and time of year. The term includes events that extreme
event attribution science determines were made more likely or
severe by climate change.
"Gross negligence." Negligence which is materially greater
than the mere absence of reasonable care under the circumstances
and which is characterized by indifference to or reckless
disregard of the rights of others.
"Harmed parties." A person, business or association harmed
or suffering damages in the amount of at least $10,000 as a
result of a climate disaster or extreme weather attributable to
climate change.
"Impact attribution science." Research aimed at
understanding how global climate change affects human and
natural systems, including localized physical impacts, such as
20250HB1931PN2421 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30

floods, droughts and sea level rise, and the corresponding
effects on infrastructure, public health, ecosystems,
agriculture and economies.
"Long-term changes to the climate system." The following:
(1) Increases in average temperature.
(2) Disruptions to ocean chemistry, circulation and
temperature.
(3) Sea level rise.
(4) Variation in precipitation.
(5) Saltwater intrusion into drinking water.
(6) Sunny day flooding.
(7) Decreased snowpack and seasonal water availa