Pennsylvania 2025_0 Regular Session Status: In Committee 9 D cosponsors

SB 118 — An Act amending the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The Administrative Code of 1929, in powers and duties of the Department of Environmental Resources, its officers and departmental and advisory boards and commissions, providing for Office of Environmental Justice.

Last action — Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, Jan. 22, 2025

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 22, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Stalled 26% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 9 sponsors

    1 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (9 D).

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Summary

Codification and expansion of the Office of Environmental Justice

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

8 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill establishes the Office of Environmental Justice within the Department of Environmental Protection to promote environmental justice and provides it with specific powers and duties.

  • Section 1940-A

    Office of Environmental Justice.--(a) It shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to promote and ensure that environmental justice is effectuated in this Commonwealth. Each Commonwealth agency shall make achieving environmental justice part of the agency's mission by identifying, addressing and mitigating disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of the programs, policies and activities of the agency on communities of color and low-income communities in this Commonwealth.

    This addition mandates that all Commonwealth agencies work towards achieving environmental justice.

  • Section 1940-A

    The Office of Environmental Justice is established within the department to assist in the implementation of the public policy under subsection (a).

    This establishes a new office specifically focused on environmental justice within the Department of Environmental Protection.

  • Section 1940-A

    The secretary shall appoint a director.

    This requires the appointment of a director to lead the new Office of Environmental Justice.

  • Section 1940-A

    The office shall have the following powers and duties: (1) To advise and make recommendations to the Governor and the Governor's cabinet on: (i) Integrating environmental justice considerations throughout Commonwealth programs, regulations, policies and procedures.

    This defines the powers and duties of the Office of Environmental Justice, including advising the Governor on integrating environmental justice into government policies.

  • Section 1940-A

    To coordinate with all Commonwealth agencies to: (i) Address and eliminate the disproportionate environmental and human health impacts on communities of color and low-income communities.

    This establishes a requirement for the Office to coordinate efforts across state agencies to combat environmental and health disparities.

  • Section 1940-A

    To provide to communities of color and low-income communities greater access to public information and opportunities for participation in decision making effecting human health and the environment.

    This enhances community engagement and access to information for marginalized groups.

  • Section 1940-A

    The Environmental Justice Advisory Board is established for purposes of reviewing and making recommendations to the director of the task force and the secretary relating to existing and proposed laws, legislation, regulations, if appropriate, and policies that impact the environmental health of communities.

    This creates an advisory board to provide recommendations on environmental justice matters.

  • Section 1940-A

    As used in this section: 'Environmental justice' means the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all individuals, regardless of race, color, national origin or income, in the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies.

    This defines 'environmental justice,' establishing a clear framework for its application in Pennsylvania.

Action History

  1. Referred to ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY, Jan. 22, 2025

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 244 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (244)

244 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 244 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights environment
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 118 do?
Codification and expansion of the Office of Environmental Justice
Who sponsors SB 118?
SB 118 is sponsored by Vincent J. Hughes (Democratic), Carolyn T. Comitta (Democratic), Timothy P. Kearney (Democratic), Judith L. Schwank (Democratic), Steven J. Santarsiero (Democratic), Sharif Street (Democratic), Jay Costa (Democratic), Art Haywood (Democratic), and Lindsey M. Williams (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 118?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced January 22, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 118?
Track SB 118 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 118

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 118

Last checked for changes 4 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →