Pennsylvania HB 1625: An Act establishing the Keystone Artificial Intelligence Authority within the Department of Community and Economic Development; providing for the duties of authority and its governing board; providing for duties of other entities; establishing the Artificial Intelligence Permitting System Pilot Program within the Department of Environmental Protection; establishing the Keystone Artificial Intelligence Development Fund; and providing for sovereign immunity.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 1966
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1625
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY ORTITAY, COOK AND OLSOMMER, JUNE 18, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS AND TECHNOLOGY,
JUNE 20, 2025
AN ACT
Establishing the Keystone Artificial Intelligence Authority
within the Department of Community and Economic Development;
providing for the duties of authority and its governing
board; providing for duties of other entities; establishing
the Artificial Intelligence Permitting System Pilot Program
within the Department of Environmental Protection;
establishing the Keystone Artificial Intelligence Development
Fund; and providing for sovereign immunity.
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 Keystone
Artificial Intelligence Authority Act.
Section 2. 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:
"Applicant." An individual, partnership, association,
corporation or other legal entity that submits a request to a
Commonwealth agency for a permit related to a project within a
target industry.
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"Authority." The Keystone Artificial Intelligence Authority
established under section 3.
"Board." The governing board of the authority established
under section 4.
"Commonwealth agency." A department, board, commission or
other administrative unit of the Commonwealth that is authorized
by law to issue permits related to development activities.
"Completed application." An application submitted to a
Commonwealth agency that includes all information, documentation
and forms required by applicable law, regulation or published
guidance and that has been formally acknowledged as complete by
the Commonwealth agency.
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
"Permit." A license, certification, approval, registration
or other authorization required by a Commonwealth agency for the
initiation, construction or operation of a facility or project
within a target industry.
"Permit navigator program." A centralized program
administered by the authority to coordinate and expedite all
State-level permitting processes.
"Permit navigator system." A digital platform developed and
maintained by the authority to facilitate permit coordination,
applicant-agency communications, real-time status tracking and
publication of performance metrics.
"Target industry." Artificial intelligence facilities, data
centers, semiconductor manufacturing, cloud infrastructure,
cooling and grid technologies and other emerging technologies as
designated by the authority.
Section 3. Establishment of authority.
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The Keystone Artificial Intelligence Authority is established
within the department.
Section 4. Governing board.
(a) Composition.--
(1) The duties of the authority shall be exercised by a
governing board consisting of the following members:
(i) A member appointed by the Governor.
(ii) A member appointed by the President pro tempore
of the Senate.
(iii) A member appointed by the Minority Leader of
the Senate.
(iv) A member appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives.
(v) A member appointed by the Minority Leader of the
House of Representatives.
(2) Each member shall possess relevant experience in
artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, cloud
computing or machine learning.
(3) Each member shall be a resident of this
Commonwealth.
(b) Terms and chairperson.--
(1) The appointing authorities shall make initial
appointments within 30 days of the effective date of this
paragraph. A member's term shall begin on the date of
appointment and shall run concurrently with the term of the
appointing authority.
(2) The board shall elect a chairperson from among its
members at the organizational meeting and upon any vacancy in
that office. The chairperson shall serve a term of two years
or for the remainder of the chairperson's board term,
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whichever is first, and may be reelected for subsequent two-
year terms.
(3) A member shall serve at the pleasure of the
appointing authority. Vacancies shall be filled by the
appointing authority within 30 days.
(c) Organization.--The appointees of the President pro
tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall jointly set the date, time and location of
the initial meeting of the board within five days of the
appointment of all initial members. The meeting shall be held
within 60 days of the effective date of this subsection. The
board may elect additional officers as necessary. A member may
hold more than one office within the