Pennsylvania SB 670: An Act amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), referred to as the Housing Authorities Law, providing for public housing safety committees; further providing for requirements regarding tenants and landlords in cities of the first class; and providing for background checks for landlords.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 679
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No. 670
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY LANGERHOLC, MASTRIANO, STEFANO, J. WARD,
PENNYCUICK AND VOGEL, APRIL 28, 2025
REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, APRIL 28, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265), entitled "An
act to promote public health, safety, morals, and welfare by
declaring the necessity of creating public bodies, corporate
and politic, to be known as housing authorities to engage in
slum clearance, and to undertake projects, to provide
dwelling accommodations for persons of low income; providing
for the organization of such housing authorities; defining
their powers and duties; providing for the exercise of such
powers, including the acquisition of property by purchase,
gift or eminent domain, the renting and selling of property,
and including borrowing money, issuing bonds, and other
obligations, and giving security therefor; prescribing the
remedies of obligees of housing authorities; authorizing
housing authorities to enter into agreements, including
agreements with the United States, the Commonwealth, and
political subdivisions and municipalities thereof; defining
the application of zoning, sanitary, and building laws and
regulations to projects built or maintained by such housing
authorities; exempting the property and securities of such
housing authorities from taxation; and imposing duties and
conferring powers upon the State Planning Board, and certain
other State officers and departments," providing for public
housing safety committees; further providing for requirements
regarding tenants and landlords in cities of the first class;
and providing for background checks for landlords.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. The act of May 28, 1937 (P.L.955, No.265),
referred to as the Housing Authorities Law, is amended by adding
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a section to read:
Section 4.3. Public Housing Safety Committees.--(a) W ithin
each Authority, a public housing safety committee shall be
established. Each public housing safety committee shall consist
of three members, including the Executive Director of the
Authority, the District Attorney of the county in which the
Authority is located and the President Judge of the county in
which the Authority is located.
(b) When an Authority receives a background check in
compliance with Federal law, the Authority shall review the
background check to see if the applicant has any criminal
offenses of the grading of a misdemeanor of the third degree or
higher. If an applicant has such offense on their record and all
other admissions criteria are met, the Authority shall present
all relevant information to the public housing safety committee
for its review.
(c) The public housing safety committee shall meet regularly
at the call of the President Judge. The President Judge shall
serve as the presiding officer of all meetings of the public
housing safety committee. All three members of the committee
must be present.
(d) The public housing safety committee shall take all
measures necessary to comply with relevant Federal law while
conducting the business of the committee.
(e) Prior to reviewing the documentation, the Authority
shall provide the members of the public housing safety committee
with an overview of existing Federal laws and regulations that
the public housing safety committee must follow.
(f) The public housing safety committee shall review the
documentation provided by the Authority regarding each tenant
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with a previous criminal record. The public housing safety
committee shall review each applicant on a case-by-case basis.
The public housing safety committee shall:
(1) Evaluate:
(i) if the previous criminal activity threatens the health,
safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other
residents; and
(ii) if the previous criminal activity threatens the health,
safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of their residences by
persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises.
(2) Consider:
(i) the severity of the crime committed;
(ii) the length of time since the offense;
(iii) the actions of the applicant since committing the
crime;
(iv) any other required considerations under existing
Federal law; and
(v) any other considerations the public housing safety
committee deems necessary to evaluate the applicants on a case-
by-case basis to ensure the health, safety or right to peaceful
enjoyment of the premises by other residents or the health,
safety or right to peaceful enjoyment of their residences by
persons residing in the immediate vicinity of the premises.
(g) The public housing safety committee shall vote to inform
the Authority if the public housing safety committee determines
that the applicant does not present a th