Pennsylvania 2025_0 Regular Session Status: Passed Senate 5 R cosponsors

SB 1279 — An Act providing for issuance of housing construction permits by executive agencies, for designation of Commonwealth Housing Regulatory Compliance Officer and for timelines for permits related to housing construction; and imposing duties on the Office of Transformation and Opportunity.

Last action — Referred to HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, June 3, 2026

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

This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced April 14, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.

Next likely step: consideration and a floor vote in the House.

Odds of enactment

Moderate chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a moderate chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Advancing 56% · moderate confidence

  • Passed Senate

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 5 sponsors

    1 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (5 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill focuses on streamlining housing construction permit processes and designating a compliance officer.

This bill allows executive agencies to issue housing construction permits more efficiently and establishes a compliance officer for housing regulations. It aims to improve the timeline for these permits.

What this means for you
  • Families: This bill could potentially lead to quicker access to new housing options for families as the permitting process is improved.
  • Environment: The legislation's focus on permitting may include considerations for environmental compliance in housing development.
  • Small Business: If you operate in the housing construction sector, this bill may streamline the permitting process for your projects.

Summary

Home Ownership and Housing Development Regulatory Compliance Officer

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

30 added · 34 removed

Plain-language change summary

The latest version of Bill SB 1279 removed a section that required the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency to reimburse costs associated with implementing the bill. Additionally, it maintains strict timelines for reviewing housing construction permit applications, ensuring agencies must inform applicants about their application status within 10 business days and complete technical reviews within 30 days. This change simplifies the financial obligations on the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, which may make the bill more appealing to lawmakers while still keeping the focus on timely processing of housing permits, helping to address housing construction delays.

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PRIOR PRINTER'S NO.
PRINTER'S NO.
1588 PRINTER'S NO.
1588 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL Session of No.
1756 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA SENATE BILL Session of No.
1279 2026 INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, DUSH, ROTHMAN, PICOZZI AND STEFANO, APRIL 14, 2026 REFERRED TO URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, APRIL 14, 2026 AN ACT Providing for issuance of housing construction permits by executive agencies, for designation of Commonwealth Housing Regulatory Compliance Officer and for timelines for permits related to housing construction;
1279 2026 INTRODUCED BY PHILLIPS-HILL, DUSH, ROTHMAN, PICOZZI AND STEFANO, APRIL 14, 2026 SENATOR MARTIN, APPROPRIATIONS, RE-REPORTED AS AMENDED, JUNE 1, 2026 AN ACT Providing for issuance of housing construction permits by executive agencies, for designation of Commonwealth Housing Regulatory Compliance Officer and for timelines for permits related to housing construction;
20260SB1279PN1756 - 2 - (iii) Procedures for review and approval or denial of recommendations made by third-party reviewers.
20260SB1279PN1588 - 2 - (iii) Procedures for review and approval or denial of recommendations made by third-party reviewers.
(9) Seek every opportunity to provide transparency in 20260SB1279PN1756 - 3 - the permit application process and, whenever possible, reduce processing times.
(9) Seek every opportunity to provide transparency in 20260SB1279PN1588 - 3 - the permit application process and, whenever possible, reduce processing times.
(6) Submitting an annual report to the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee of the Senate, the Housing and Community Development Committee of the House of Representatives, the 20260SB1279PN1756 - 4 - Local Government Committee of the Senate and the Local Government Committee of the House of Representatives on the activities undertaken under this subsection.
(6) Submitting an annual report to the Urban Affairs and Housing Committee of the Senate, the Housing and Community Development Committee of the House of Representatives, the 20260SB1279PN1588 - 4 - Local Government Committee of the Senate and the Local Government Committee of the House of Representatives on the activities undertaken under this subsection.
(C) COSTS.--UPON REQUEST OF THE OFFICE, THE PENNSYLVANIA <-- HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY SHALL REIMBURSE THE OFFICE FOR COSTS INCURRED IN IMPLEMENTING THIS SECTION.
20260SB1279PN1756 - 5 -
20260SB1279PN1588 - 5 -
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Action History

  1. Referred to HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, June 3, 2026

  2. In the House

  3. (Remarks see Senate Journal Page ....), June 3, 2026

  4. Third consideration and final passage, June 3, 2026 (30-20)

  5. Re-reported as amended, June 1, 2026

  6. Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS, June 1, 2026

  7. Second consideration, June 1, 2026

  8. First consideration, May 6, 2026

  9. Reported as committed, May 6, 2026

  10. Referred to URBAN AFFAIRS AND HOUSING, April 14, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 248 not signed on · 20 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (248)

248 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 248 →

"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

Votes

Final Passage

Passed 30 Yea · 20 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 26100
Democratic 41800
Unaffiliated 0100
Total 302000
% of votes cast 60%40%0%0%
How each member voted (50)
Member Party Vote
Anthony Williams — Nay
Amanda M. Cappelletti Democratic Nay
Art Haywood Democratic Nay
Carolyn T. Comitta Democratic Nay
Christine M. Tartaglione Democratic Nay
James Andrew Malone Democratic Yea
Jay Costa Democratic Nay
John I. Kane Democratic Nay
Judith L. Schwank Democratic Nay
Katie J. Muth Democratic Nay
Lindsey M. Williams Democratic Nay
Lisa M. Boscola Democratic Yea
Maria Collett Democratic Nay
Marty Flynn Democratic Nay
Nick Miller Democratic Yea
Nick Pisciottano Democratic Nay
Nikil Saval Democratic Nay
Patty Kim Democratic Nay
Sharif Street Democratic Nay
Steven J. Santarsiero Democratic Nay
Timothy P. Kearney Democratic Yea
Vincent J. Hughes Democratic Nay
Wayne D. Fontana Democratic Nay
Camera Bartolotta Republican Yea
Chris Gebhard Republican Yea
Cris Dush Republican Yea
Daniel Laughlin Republican Yea
David G. Argall Republican Yea
Dawn W. Keefer Republican Yea
Devlin J. Robinson Republican Yea
Doug Mastriano Republican Yea
Elder A. Vogel Republican Yea
Frank A. Farry Republican Yea
Gene Yaw Republican Yea
Greg Rothman Republican Yea
Jarrett Coleman Republican Nay
Joe Picozzi Republican Yea
Joe Pittman Republican Yea
Judy Ward Republican Yea
Kim L. Ward Republican Yea
Kristin Phillips-Hill Republican Yea
Lisa Baker Republican Yea
Lynda Schlegel Culver Republican Yea
Michele Brooks Republican Yea
Patrick J. Stefano Republican Yea
Rosemary M. Brown Republican Yea
Scott E. Hutchinson Republican Yea
Scott Martin Republican Yea
Tracy Pennycuick Republican Yea
Wayne Langerholc Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

housing
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 1279 do?
Home Ownership and Housing Development Regulatory Compliance Officer
Who sponsors SB 1279?
SB 1279 is sponsored by Kristin Phillips-Hill (Republican), Cris Dush (Republican), Greg Rothman (Republican), Joe Picozzi (Republican), and Patrick J. Stefano (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 1279?
This bill has passed the Senate. Introduced April 14, 2026. It now moves to the second chamber.
Where can I track SB 1279?
Track SB 1279 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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