Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee 17 D cosponsors

SB 1089 — An Act amending Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for permitted use of public space; and, in matters affecting government units, further providing for exceptions to sovereign immunity.

Last action — Referred to Judiciary

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  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 November 17, 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.

  • 17 sponsors

    1 primary, 16 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (17 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.

Bill Text

How this bill changes current law

6 changes Share ↗

Compared against the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds new provisions regarding the permitted use of public space and modifies existing law on sovereign immunity to address claims related to these provisions.

  • 42 Pa.C.S. § 8522(b)

    (11) Permitted use of public space.--The implementation or enforcement of a rule, ordinance, regulation, law, policy or practice that violates Chapter 70A (relating to permitted use of public space).

    This establishes a new exception to sovereign immunity, allowing claims against the Commonwealth for violations related to the permitted use of public space.

  • Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

    CHAPTER 70A PERMITTED USE OF PUBLIC SPACE Sec. 70A01. Definitions. 70A02. Permitted use of public space. 70A03. Affirmative defense. 70A04. Enforcement.

    This introduces a new chapter on permitted use of public space, detailing definitions, conditions under which individuals experiencing homelessness can use public spaces, and enforcement mechanisms.

  • Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

    § 70A01. Definitions.

    This establishes specific definitions relevant to the new provisions regarding public space usage.

  • Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

    § 70A02. Permitted use of public space.

    This section allows individuals experiencing homelessness to use public spaces for life-sustaining activities under certain conditions.

  • Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

    § 70A03. Affirmative defense.

    This section creates an affirmative defense for individuals experiencing homelessness against charges related to life-sustaining activities.

  • Title 42 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

    § 70A04. Enforcement.

    This establishes enforcement mechanisms and legal recourse for violations of the new regulations on public space.

Action History

  1. Referred to Judiciary

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 16 co-sponsors · 236 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (16)

Not signed on (236)

236 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 236 →

"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

public-safety civil-rights
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

Who sponsors SB 1089?
SB 1089 is sponsored by Nikil Saval (Democratic), Amanda M. Cappelletti (Democratic), Vincent J. Hughes (Democratic), Timothy P. Kearney (Democratic), Judith L. Schwank (Democratic), Art Haywood (Democratic), Jay Costa (Democratic), Katie J. Muth (Democratic), John I. Kane (Democratic), Lindsey M. Williams (Democratic), James Andrew Malone (Democratic), Maria Collett (Democratic), Patty Kim (Democratic), Sharif Street (Democratic), Carolyn T. Comitta (Democratic), Steven J. Santarsiero (Democratic), and Christine M. Tartaglione (Democratic).
What is the current status of SB 1089?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced November 17, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 1089?
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