Pennsylvania HB 2048: An Act establishing the Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium; providing for administrative, fiscal or logistical services and governance and duties of the Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium, for grantmaking priorities, for editorial independence, for public access and transparency and for long-term funding strategy.

Bill Text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2623 PRINTER'S NO. 2875
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 2048
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY RABB, SHUSTERMAN, WAXMAN, KHAN, RIVERA, FREEMAN,
K. HARRIS, HOWARD, SANCHEZ, SMITH-WADE-EL AND WARREN,
NOVEMBER 18, 2025
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, FEBRUARY 4, 2026
AN ACT
Establishing the Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium;
providing for ADMINISTRATIVE, FISCAL OR LOGISTICAL SERVICES
AND governance and duties of the Pennsylvania Civic
Information Consortium, for grantmaking priorities, for
editorial independence, for public access and transparency
and for long-term funding strategy.
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 Pennsylvania
Civic Information Consortium Act.
Section 2. Declaration of purpose.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) The collapse of the local news industry in this
Commonwealth has created a civic emergency. After years of
corporate consolidation, hedge fund acquisition and newsroom
layoffs, many communities in this Commonwealth have become
news deserts, deprived of the public-interest journalism they
once relied on.
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(2) This is not merely a media industry crisis. Research
shows that robust local journalism correlates with improved
government performance, higher civic engagement and stronger
community trust.
(3) The private market alone no longer meets the
public's need for locally rooted civic information.
(4) To restore a healthy civic information ecosystem, a
new public framework is needed to support, invest in and
protect local journalism that serves all Pennsylvanians.
(1) A STRONG AND DIVERSE LOCAL NEWS SECTOR IS ESSENTIAL
TO THE FUNCTIONING OF DEMOCRACY. COMMUNITIES ACROSS THIS
COMMONWEALTH RELY ON CREDIBLE, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM TO STAY
INFORMED ABOUT PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND TO PARTICIPATE MEANINGFULLY
IN CIVIC LIFE.
(2) RESEARCH CONSISTENTLY DEMONSTRATES THAT ACCESS TO
RELIABLE REPORTING SUPPORTS TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT,
ENCOURAGES CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND FOSTERS COMMUNITY TRUST.
(3) RESEARCH ALSO DEMONSTRATES THAT MOST PENNSYLVANIANS
SEEK OUT NEWS FROM TRUSTED, INDEPENDENT SOURCES, INCLUDING
LOCAL PRINT AND DIGITAL NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.
(4) MARKET PRESSURES AND STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE MEDIA
LANDSCAPE HAVE MADE IT INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT FOR LOCAL NEWS
ORGANIZATIONS TO SUSTAIN THE LEVEL OF COVERAGE RESIDENTS
EXPECT AND DESERVE.
(5) STRENGTHENING THIS COMMONWEALTH'S CIVIC INFORMATION
INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIRES A COORDINATED PUBLIC FRAMEWORK THAT
SUPPORTS, INVESTS IN AND SAFEGUARDS JOURNALISM THAT SERVES
ALL PENNSYLVANIANS.
(5) (6) The purpose of this act is to create an
independent, nonpartisan, publicly funded nonprofit
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corporation, the Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium.
(6) (7) The Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium
will administer a competitive grant program supporting local
journalism and civic information projects throughout this
Commonwealth, with special emphasis on underserved
populations and community-driven media models.
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:
"Board." The board of directors of the Pennsylvania Civic
Information Consortium.
"Consortium." The Pennsylvania Civic Information Consortium
established under section 4(a).
"Eligible entity." A nonprofit organization, institution of
higher education, library, community media outlet or other
organization that demonstrates the ability to carry out a civic
information or local journalism project in this Commonwealth.
"Funded project." A civic information or local journalism
initiative that receives financial support through a grant
awarded by the consortium under this act.
"HOST INSTITUTION." THE STATE LIBRARY SYSTEM OR AN
INSTITUTION WITHIN THE STATE SYSTEM OF HIGHER EDUCATION THAT
ENTERS INTO A WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH THE CONSORTIUM TO PROVIDE
ADMINISTRATIVE, FISCAL OR LOGISTICAL SERVICES.
"Metrics." Objective performance measures used to evaluate
the reach, quality and civic impact of funded projects.
"Pilot program." The initial two-year to three-year
implementation phase of the consortium during which the
consortium demonstrates proof of concept, establishes
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administrative capacity, develops and tests grantmaking
procedures and gathers data to inform the transition to a long-
term funding model for the consortium.
"Underserved community." A community that lacks adequate
access to reliable civic information or local news, including
rural, low-income, mino