Pennsylvania HB 1218: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, providing for payments for spousal personal care services.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1366
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1218
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY GROVE, CUTLER, STENDER, KAUFFMAN, ROWE AND KUZMA,
APRIL 15, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 15, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
"An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
and defining membership of county boards of elections;
imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
elections," in the Secretary of the Commonwealth, further
providing for powers and duties of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth; in county boards of elections, further
providing for powers and duties of county boards; in voting
by qualified absentee electors, further providing for
canvassing of official absentee ballots and mail-in ballots;
and, in recounts and contests, providing for independent
prosecutor and for election integrity officers.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Sections 201, 302 and 1308 of the act of June 3,
1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election
Code, are amended by adding subsections to read:
Section 201. Powers and Duties of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth.--The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall exercise
in the manner provided by this act all powers granted to him by
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this act, and shall perform all the duties imposed upon him by
this act, which shall include the following:
* * *
(i) To maintain a hotline for the reporting of any known or
suspected election fraud or intimidation or duress of poll
workers, judges of elections, election officials or election
observers and to provide election fraud education to the public.
All information received through the hotline shall be
automatically transmitted to the independent prosecutor under
section 1778 and the county election integrity officer under
section 1779.
(j) To cooperate with an independent prosecutor under
section 1778 for each election cycle to review election
complaints received by the secretary and the county boards of
elections.
(k) To provide annual training to district attorneys and
their employees on Federal and State election laws and
procedures.
Section 302. Powers and Duties of County Boards.--The county
boards of elections, within their respective counties, shall
exercise, in the manner provided by this act, all powers granted
to them by this act, and shall perform all the duties imposed
upon them by this act, which shall include the following:
* * *
(n.1) To cooperate with the election integrity officer under
section 1779 in their county and to include the election
integrity officer in their county in all correspondence related
to the conduct of the election.
(n.2) To cooperate with an independent prosecutor under
section 1778 for each election cycle to review election
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complaints received by the county boards of elections.
* * *
Section 1308. Canvassing of Official Absentee Ballots and
Mail-in Ballots.--* * *
(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the
following apply to authorized representatives regarding the
oversight of election results:
(1) The authorized representatives shall be provided with
meaningful access to view and observe the entire process of pre-
canvassing or canvassing activities, including allowing the
authorized representatives to easily read the text on any ballot
or envelope at any point in the process of pre-canvassing or
canvassing activities.
(2) A county board of elections shall designate an official
to respond to issues reported by authorized representatives.
(3) The Department of State shall establish a procedure for
authorized representatives to report any concerns arising from
any pre-canvass meeting.
(4) The Department of State and county board of elections
shall investigate and report on any concerns raised in each
election.
(5) All information regarding the oversight of elections
under this subsection shall be turned over to the independent
prosecutor under section 1778.
(6) A county board of elections shall record the pre-canvass
and canvass meetings with audio and visual recording. The entire
recording under this paragraph shall be made available only
after the close of the polls.
Section 2. The act is amended by adding sections to read:
Section 1778. Independent Prosecutor.--(a) At least ninety
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days prior to each pr