Pennsylvania HB 2516: An Act establishing the Nurse and Health Care Worker Loan Forgiveness Program and providing for the powers and duties of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 3402
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2516
Session of
2026
INTRODUCED BY WALSH, KRUPA, M. BROWN, MENTZER, COOPER AND PUGH,
MAY 13, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MAY 13, 2026
AN ACT
Amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), entitled
"An act to empower cities of the second class A, and third
class, boroughs, incorporated towns, townships of the first
and second classes including those within a county of the
second class and counties of the second through eighth
classes, individually or jointly, to plan their development
and to govern the same by zoning, subdivision and land
development ordinances, planned residential development and
other ordinances, by official maps, by the reservation of
certain land for future public purpose and by the acquisition
of such land; to promote the conservation of energy through
the use of planning practices and to promote the effective
utilization of renewable energy sources; providing for the
establishment of planning commissions, planning departments,
planning committees and zoning hearing boards, authorizing
them to charge fees, make inspections and hold public
hearings; providing for mediation; providing for transferable
development rights; providing for appropriations, appeals to
courts and penalties for violations; and repealing acts and
parts of acts," in general provisions, further providing for
definitions; in comprehensive plan, providing for
comprehensive plan element for commercial data centers; and,
in zoning, providing for zoning, commercial data centers and
agricultural land protections and for zoning, commercial data
centers, approval procedure and minimum standards.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 107 of the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805,
No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code,
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is amended by adding definitions to read:
Section 107. Definitions.--(a) The following words and
phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to
them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise:
"Agricultural conservation easement," as defined in section 3
of the act of June 30, 1981 (P.L.128, No.43), known as the
"Agricultural Area Security Law."
* * *
"Agricultural security area," as defined in section 3 of the
"Agricultural Area Security Law."
* * *
"Commercial data center," a facility, campus of facilities or
array of interconnected facilities located within this
Commonwealth that:
(1) is predominantly used to house and operate equipment
that receives, stores, aggregates, manages, processes,
transforms, retrieves, researches or transmits data; and
(2) has a peak demand of 25 megawatts or greater.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read:
Section 301.6. Comprehensive Plan Element for Commercial
Data Centers.--If a municipality's comprehensive plan includes
commercial data centers, the plan shall identify:
(1) areas generally appropriate for the use of a data
center, including where public infrastructure and utility
capacity is available or planned; and
(2) agricultural resources to be avoided, including
prime agricultural land, agricultural security areas and land
subject to agricultural conservation easements.
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Section 603.2. Zoning; Commercial Data Centers; Agricultural
Land Protections.--(a) If a zoning ordinance authorizes
commercial data centers in any zoning district, the zoning
ordinance shall include standards that address:
(1) setbacks and buffering from residential uses;
(2) noise, lighting and landscaping mitigation;
(3) documentation evidencing adequate water supply,
sewage disposal and storm water management consistent with
applicable law, including identification of the proposed
source of water supply and any proposed groundwater
withdrawal and, where the tract is in active agricultural use
or adjoins land in active agricultural use, measures to avoid
or mitigate adverse impacts to existing water supplies and
private wells serving adjoining properties, including setback
or separation requirements for proposed water withdrawal
infrastructure;
(4) emergency response planning; and
(5) decommissioning, including standards for the removal
of structures and equipment and restoration of the site after
the commercial data center ceases operation.
(b) A zoning ordinance may not permit and no governing body
or zoning hearing board may approve, authorize or grant relief
to allow a commercial data center on a tract, lot or parcel that
is:
(1) within an agricultural security area; or
(2) subject to an agricultural conservation easement.
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit a
municipality from adopting more restrictive standards, including
overlay zoning districts or additi