PA House Consumer Protection, Technology and Utilities — 2026-06-23

Representative Benham. Designation. Representative Borowski. Representative Cephas. Designation. Representative Gallagher. Designation. Representative Haddock. Representative Hohenstein. Designation. Representative Isaacson. Representative Malagari. Designation. Representative Mullins. Designation. Representative Monroe. Designation. Representative Nelson. Designation. Representative Pielli. Designation. Representative Steele. Designation. Chairman Metzgar. Here. Representative Hogan. Here. Representative Kale. Representative Kaufman. Here. Representative Kozak. Representative Kutz. Designation. Representative Major. Representative Mahaffey. Here. Representative Mihalik Representative Renkavage Representative Tomlinson Designation Representative Williams

This bill, sponsored by Representative Hambidge, requires the Pennsylvania Department of Health to test a representative sample of each locally manufactured baby food batch for toxic heavy metals. Tested products must feature a label disclosing the detective levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, inorganic arsenic, and other heavy metals.

Thank you, Representative Hambridge. This bill has an amendment, Amendment A03760. Tim, summarize the amendment.

Any discussion on the amendment? Hearing none, are there any negative votes on the amendment? Hearing none, the bill is amended. On the House Bill 507, is there any discussion? Any negative votes, Chairman? The bill passes unanimously. Congratulations, Representative.

Next on our calendar, House Chair calls House Bill 550. Mr. Scott, please summarize the bill.

Any discussion on the bill? Are there any negative votes on the bill? Hearing no negative bills, the bill passes. Congratulations, Rep. Next, Chair calls up House Bill 1135. Mr. Scott, please summarize the bill.

Chair recognizes Representative Mihalik for comments.

predisposed to this neurological disorder, the fastest growing neurological disorder in the United States, by the way. You could be predisposed, but it's the environment that really is what sets it off. So if you're in an environment and you're repeatedly exposed to something toxic like paraquat that can travel directly into your brain, then you're going to end up with a neurological disorder like Parkinson's disease. I know we have some colleagues here today. We have colleagues in this legislative body that have watched their loved ones live with Parkinson's disease. And it's a really hard thing. And I don't wish it anybody. And I don't want any Pennsylvanians to suffer with it. But the reality is we have one of the highest rates of the disease in the nation. And that's why we're here today on House Bill 35. This is one of the deadliest herbicides to ever come to market. One little teeny tiny sip would kill you. Repeated exposure over years, whether you're the agriculture worker spraying it, you're living in an agricultural community, you're living next to a golf course where they spray it. That repeated exposure is what causes these neurological conditions. So it's a much slower death. It's not going to kill you instantly, but it's a much slower death. And I know we have, you know, opposition. We've seen the letters, we've heard, you know, from some advocacy groups. And I'll just say this because it was, said to me, I think an offhanded comment, you know, sometimes when we do nothing, that's okay, that's preferred. And I don't totally disagree with that statement. But when public safety is concerned, we have to do something. We have a known harm and a toxic chemical. And that's why we need to act today. My constituents, and I think most my colleagues would agree, we weren't sent here to do nothing. We were sent here to affect change. We weren't sent here to accept the status quo. The status quo, by the way, is very profitable for a lot of companies. There are companies out there, and they know who they are. They not only manufacture these toxic herbicides, they also manufacture the treatment, because there is no cure for these diseases. So the same company that's manufacturing the very toxin that causes these diseases is also manufacturing the very expensive medication you need to keep living, and that's sick. I think that our colleagues should be sickened by that. I think that people are waking up to this and they expect us to take action. So we're joining today with 74 countries that have banned this. 74 countries, including the EU, most countries in South America, and China. China, by the way, manufactures the vast majority of Paraquat. The Paraquat that's on the market is made by Chinese companies. China banned it in 2016. They're protecting their own citizens, and they don't have any problem shipping it to the United States where we're spraying it on our farms every single day. So I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman. I want to thank the 49 co-sponsors, bipartisan co-sponsors that have signed on to this bill, and I would encourage all my colleagues today for a yes vote. Thank you. Thank you, Representative. Chairman Metzger? Yeah, I'm a reluctant supporter of this bill, and I guess the reason why I say reluctant is because I'm sensitive to the needs of our agriculture community. You know, no farms, no food. And this is a product that is used in agriculture, although extremely sparingly and less and less every year because there's better and safer alternatives. You know, gramoxone is a burndown if you're in the herbicide business. It's something that you use to burn off vegetation. It doesn't necessarily kill the roots, but it burns it off. And that's something that we do have some newer and safer alternatives with. Reglone is one of the ones that are out there. I think that we can achieve a balancing act between the safety of our citizens in Pennsylvania and also the needs of agriculture. And so with that being said, I do think that Representative Michalik's bill is a good bill, despite some of the interest groups that are concerned about it and think that maybe this is a slippery slope to other bans. I don't think it is. This is simply a movement to stop a particularly bad herbicide that is out there that we need to control. And anyone who's ever used it knows how dangerous it really is. You essentially have to hazmat suit yourself to use the product, and even then I'm not sure that it's safe. So I appreciate Representative Mihalik's willingness to work with the ag community because she recognizes the importance of that as well, and she's done so and will continue to do so, and I'm hoping to get more in that community on board with this as we move forward to the floor. Thank you. Thank you, Chairman. Any additional discussion on the bill? I'd also like to acknowledge the contributions to the bill and the work on assisting Representative Mihalik, Representative Schusterman, who also worked and brought awareness in our caucus to the importance of why we should ban this and other harmful chemicals that are added to our diet. Those of us that have traveled outside of the United States, when you spend the week somewhere else eating different foods, you feel better. You come back, you feel bloated as soon as you start eating food here in America. It's an ever-growing fact that there's something wrong in our diet, and we need to address it. And thank you, Representative Mejelick and Schusterman, for working on this issue. Do I hear any negative votes on the bill? Hearing none the bill passes Next Chair calls up House Bill 1213 Mr Scott please summarize the bill Absolutely. House Bill 1213, offered by Representative McNeil, requires municipal authorities and public utilities to notify customers if their monthly water usage spikes 200% above average. Providers must make reasonable efforts to inform customers and help them identify potential leaks or inefficiencies. Representative McNeil thank you Thank You chair Burgess chair Metzger and members of the committee for giving me this opportunity to speak on House bill 1213 it is designed to help Pennsylvania homeowners identify potential water leaks before they become costly problems as every home owner knows homes require ongoing maintenance Unfortunately, many issues, particularly water leaks, can go unnoticed for weeks or even months. When that happens, homeowners are often left facing significant property damage and unexpectedly costly water bills. Many municipal authorities and public utility companies already have the tools and technology necessary to identify unusual spikes in water usage. However, there is currently no requirement that customers be notified when those spikes occur. House Bill 1213 addresses that issue by requiring municipal authorities and public utility companies to notify customers when their water usage increases by 200% or more above their average monthly usage. The bill also requires providers to make reasonable efforts to contact the customer and assist them in identifying potential leaks or issues. This is a common sense consumer protection measure. By providing timely notification, we can help residents catch problems earlier, reduce unnecessary water waste, prevent costly property damage, and avoid the shock of a huge bill months after the leak began. House Bill 1213 promotes communication between utility providers and customers while helping Pennsylvania protect both their homes and their wallets. I personally had a constituent, he went away for four weeks, came back to a well over $2,000 water bill. They brought in a plumber, there was no leakage, nothing. The water company basically with him or talked to him about it. I spoke to them about possibly doing something like this. I said other utility companies do this, and he said, I don't have to. So I'm sitting here and trying to introduce this bill. I respect for an affirmative vote on House Bill 1213. Thank you. Thank you, Representative. Chair, recognize Representative Haddock. Yes, I'd like to thank the maker of the bill for bringing this bill forward. And not only leakage, but I have a case where my own fiancé has a second house, and we very seldom get there with our busy schedules. And ironically, our local water company notifies her every three months that she's not using water. And she said, well, it should be documented. This is a second house. But one time, ironically, we went in, we used the facilities, and the toilet stuck, and the bill ran and ran for like three weeks. And she got hit with a bill. So not even damage, but just a faulty toilet leaking within the toilet. And she received an exorbitant water bill. So it is ironic that water companies will send you a notice or call you all the time saying, hey, you're not using any water. We want to come in and check to make sure everything's okay with our meter. but when it's to their benefit and against the consumer, they don't bother giving that courtesy call to say, hey, you're using an exorbitant amount of water. What's going on in your house? So thank you, Representative, for bringing this bill, and I will be a strong yes. Thank you. In writing this bill, I did research, and this has happened in many parts of the country, or whether someone has not used their facility for months. The bill has gone up. So we're hoping with this bill it will help make this not happen. Representative Isaacson. Thank you. I just want to commend you for this bill and for any water company that says that this is going to be a burden. The Philadelphia Water Department already does this. I was here in Harrisburg, and I got an email notifying me that there was a constant water running at my house. And I got my daughter to check it out, and it turned out it was just a running toilet, needed a quick fix. But had they not told me while I was here during budget last year, I could have had an exorbitant bill. So it's very easy to do. It's very easy to notify. and I look forward to supporting this so that everybody can have the same service that we're getting. Thank you. Chairman Metzger. Representative, I love the idea behind your bill. I think everybody wants this to happen because no one wants these bills, these exorcement bills where it's not actual water usage that you want to use. It's in some form of accident that there's a water usage, And I think that that is a very noble cause that you're taking up. And I think every one of us sitting up here in our district offices has tried to help someone that's had this happen. I firmly believe that we've all dealt with that. And also, to Representative Isaacson's point, you know, companies like Philadelphia Water can do this and do it already. And so it's not onerous for them at all. The challenge, though, unfortunately, is that there are small and struggling water companies all across Pennsylvania that have neither the technology nor the people power to do this. And so the fact that we want to do what you propose is sort of irrelevant because the fact is that the costs and the ability for them to do it simply don't exist yet. And so I think that I speak for some of my colleagues whenever I say I want to help you and I want to support you. But unfortunately, whenever good intentions meet practicality, it doesn't always work. And so we're sort of in a position here where the companies that are out there simply can't do this. And so unfortunately, some of us are going to be a no on it, not because we don't believe in what you're doing, but because we know that it can't actually be accomplished yet. But hope that you keep the fire lit so that you can come back and do this more as the technology and the capabilities maybe catch up over the rest of the Commonwealth. But unfortunately, we're not all as sophisticated as Philadelphia. Thank you. Representative Isaacson. Thank you for a second time. I would just like to point out I got an email. It wasn't high technology. It was an email notifying me. They didn't come in and check. All they did was, which every water company should be able to do since they meter us, is notify somebody. It was as simple as an email. It didn't even cost a stamp. Thank you. Thank you. Some companies email, they text, or sometimes a postcard. Representative, please use your microphone. Some people email, text, or use a postcard. It is minimal cost. At my policy hearing on this a couple years ago, the person that does this testified it's an easy thing to do. So I hope these smaller companies give their customers the service they deserve and make sure this doesn't happen to them. If they're in business, they need to cover all aspects of their business. But I thank you for your opinion, Chairman. Chairman Metzger. I always know that I can get my good friend Mary Isaacson to engage with me, so I'm always happy to do that. But just to be clear, I'm not saying that the water companies can't use email. I'm saying that the water companies don't all have sophisticated metering systems. So that's the difference here and the capability to do that. So thank you. Ms. Brooks, call the roll. Chairman Burgles. Yes. Representative Benham. Yes. Representative Borowski. Representative Cephas. Yes. Representative Gallagher. Representative Haddock. Representative Hohenstein. Yes, designation. Representative Isaacson. Representative Malagari. Yes. Representative Mullins. Representative Monroe. Yes. Representative Nelson. Yes. Representative Pieli. Yes. Representative Steele. Yes. Chairman Metzgar. No. Representative Hogan. Representative Cale. Representative Kaufman. Representative Kozak. Representative Kutz. Representative Major. Representative Mahaffey. Representative Mihalik. Representative Rencavage. Representative Tomlinson. Representative Tomlinson. Yes. Representative Williams. We have 22 yes or nays. Thank you. Bill passes, having the majority of the votes. Congratulations, Chairwoman. Next chair calls up House Bill 2377. Mr. Scott, please summarize the bill. House Bill 2377, sponsored by Representative Doherty, is the Caffeine Safety Act. It requires retail food facilities to display a high caffeine warning on menus next to any beverage containing 80 milligrams or more of caffeine. The bill has an amendment, A03702. Mr. Scott, please summarize the amendment. Amendment A03702 raises the caffeine amount in the underlying bill to 250 milligrams or more to trigger disclosure on menus. Chair recognizes Representative Doherty for comments. Thank you, Chairman Burgos, Chairman Metzger, members of this committee. On September 10th, 2022, a University of Pennsylvania student tragically lost her life after consuming a beverage that she did not know was highly caffeinated. The student, Sarah Katz, was born with a heart condition, which left her susceptible to highly caffeinated beverages. While many of us consume caffeine frequently or even daily with little to no issues, the fact remains that this caffeine is a stimulant and a powerful one at high doses. As more powerful energy drinks and coffees rise in popularity, I believe that it's our responsibility to ensure that consumers are aware of how much caffeine they consume. This legislation is about notice. It would require retail food facilities to display high caffeine or similar warnings next to any beverage that contains 250 milligrams or more of caffeine. These warnings would be required to be placed on any menu in a restaurant that contains a heavily caffeinated beverage. Similar legislation has been introduced in several other states and at the federal level, specifically in Canada, which recently Quebec, Canada, banned the sale and distribution of energy drinks to kids under 16. And most recently, the Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxson, has launched an investigation into certain energy company drinks to protect children that possibly could be susceptible to high doses of caffeine. I believe that it's important to ensure that Pennsylvanians who may be sensitive to caffeine are aware of drinks that can potentially harm them. This legislation provides clarity to Pennsylvanians that they need to make decisions that are right for their health. I'd like to thank the individual that introduced me to this bill, Victoria Rose Conroy, who unfortunately could not be here today. but she is a family friend of mine and she was the roommate of Sarah Katz and was the one who found her dead in their dorm room while they were studying for finals this legislation is important to ensure that Pennsylvanians can make informed decisions and what beverages that they choose to drink at our Commonwealth's restaurant lastly I like this fact thank who she could not be here as well, but Jill Katz, who is the mother of Sarah Katz and has been a zealous advocate in not only Pennsylvania, but in New Jersey and at the federal level as well. Thank you, Chairman. Thank you, Representative. On the amendment, are there any negative votes? Hearing none, the amendment passes. On the bill. Any negative votes, Chairman? So understanding the tragedy that occurred here and certainly being sympathetic to that, no one wants to see that. The industry that you seeking to regulate though we have some degree of duty to talk to them about what impact this has on them And I done quite a bit of investigating on that And particularly with regard to some of our smaller retail establishments still reeling from post-COVID issues and the dangers that we've had with regard to their viability as a business, their positioning on this is that this is somewhat onerous for them and maybe something that they can't sustain, especially whenever you talk about one of the modern coffee bar style establishments where you can make your own product. They believe that compliance with is almost impossible. And I encourage you to try and work with those retail establishments and try and work through that. But to that end, there will be some of us that are negative votes on this. 100 percent. I completely respect that. This is more so for larger retail stores. This incident occurred at a Panera Bread due to a lemonade. So I'm not looking to target little mom-and-pop shops. I'm looking to target bigger realtors like McDonald's, Panera Bread, things of that nature. But I'm willing to work to see what we can do to get this across the finish line. I appreciate that, and we're anxious to see how that looks whenever you get there. any additional comments on the bill Ms. Brooks call the roll Chairman Berger Representative Denham yes yes Representative Isaacson. Representative Malagari. Yes. Fallon. Representative Monroe. Yes. Representative Nelson. Yes. Representative Philly. Yes. Representative. Yes. Chairman Metzgar. No. Representative Hogan. Yes. Representative Kale. Representative Kaufman. Representative Kozak Representative Kutz Representative Major Representative Mahaffey Representative Mihalik Representative Renkavid Representative Tomlinson Representative Williams Having the majority of the votes, the bill passes. Congratulations, Representative. Thank you, Chair. Next, the chair calls House Bill 2626. Mr. Scott, please summarize the bill. Absolutely. House Bill 2626, sponsored by Representative Davidson, prohibits retailers from the use of dynamic pricing via electronic pricing labels. Chairman recognizes Representative Davidson, maker of the bill. Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Chair Metzger, for your considerations of this bill today. and I would ask my colleagues for an affirmative vote on House Bill 2626. You know, this bill is a pretty narrow scope. My intent here is to protect our most vulnerable consumers from the potential of predatory pricing schemes. This legislation neither prohibits the use of electronic price tags nor does it prohibit the use of dynamic pricing. However, it does prohibit it with a combination of the two new technologies. So why this bill and why this specific scope? You know, major retailers right now are rolling out electronic price tags across the country as we speak. And many of them expect to transition to exclusive use of electronic price tags. And dynamic pricing is already around us all the time, whether you use a rideshare app or purchase a concert ticket or an airline ticket. And yes, in some retail settings. And it is absolutely used on the Internet every day if you shop online. Now, right now, we are also seeing increased costs just generally across the board, from energy to gas prices and food, and also consumer goods. So consumers are already under a lot of pressure right now. And so with this bill, I am trying to think of the working Pennsylvanians who may not have access to transportation, who may have limited opportunity and retail options if you're in a rural area or you're limited with transportation, or seniors who do their shopping on a budget and in person as opposed to online. Those Pennsylvanians are at risk of seeing their prices increase without any knowledge of their own while they are shopping. Now, some feedback I've received from companies that are implementing electronic price tags say that they're not using dynamic pricing on electronic price tags. For that, I say, wonderful. You should support the bill. And others think my bill prohibits the use of these price tags writ large. It does not. You know, I want our business community to have access to new technologies to help them better their bottom line and make them more efficient in their business. However, I want to make sure that we're also thinking of those most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, often on a fixed income, often with limited options and where to shop, and to make sure that they're not being exposed to these predatory pricing schemes. So I'm confident we all share that goal of protecting the least of these from those predatory corporate practices. This is a simple and, I think, precise measure that protects the most vulnerable in our Commonwealth. Our constituents deserve to shop for household goods without being outsmarted by a hidden algorithm when they reach the checkout. So pricing should be transparent, predictable, and fair. And I understand this is a novel piece of legislation, so I'm certainly open to feedback and maybe to get to heaven on the floor with an amendment. So with that, thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you, Chair. And I'll turn it back. Thank you, Representative Davidson. Chairman Metzger. Thank you, Representative Davidson. I appreciate you coming before the committee today. I was reading the language of this, and so scenario that a retailer brought up to me was that they use artificial intelligence to monitor the time that a product is on their shelves and say a perishable product, cantaloupes. five-day-old cantaloupe, it then triggers an automatic sale, a change of price via electronic pricing within that five-day, and all of a sudden cantaloupes are $1. They change cantaloupes to $1. So a positive impact, one would argue, on the pricing. As I read your bill, and I guess particularly the last section of the bill, there would still be a prohibition on that issue. And so So I guess my ask to you is to maybe do a deeper dive on this as you reach the House floor today. No doubt you're going to pass the committee. But, you know, from our standpoint, some issues within it that maybe if you could work that out for us would garner some more support. So that would be my request is that you continue to work with the industry to try and get that sorted out first. Yeah, thank you, Mr. Chair. And I'd certainly be happy to work with you and your staff and any other members who are interested in this subject area. Thank you. That same cantaloupe because of this technology could be worth $5 at 5 p.m. when the peak traffic happens at that store. So I believe this bill will help keep in check corporate America and protect Pennsylvania consumers. Ms. Brooks, call the roll. Chairman Burgos. Yes. Representative Benham? Yes. Representative Burowski? Representative Cephas? Yes. Representative Gallagher? Representative Haddock? Representative Hohenstein? Yes. Representative Isaacson? Representative Maligari? Yes. Representative Mullins? Representative Monroe? Yes. Representative Nelson? Representative Pili? Yes. Representative Steele? Yes. Chairman Metzgar. No. Representative Hogan. Yes. Representative Kale. Representative Kaufman. Representative Kozak. Representative Kutz. Representative Major. Representative Mahaffey. Representative Mihalik. Representative Wrenkavage. Representative Tomlinson. Yes. Representative Williams. It passes. 18 yes, 8 no. Having the majority of the votes, the bill passes. Thank you, Representative Davidson. Congratulations. Next chair calls up House Bill 2184. Mr. Scott, please summarize the bill.

Mr. Scott, please summarize the amendment.

Representative Otten, comments?

Thank you, Representative. On the amendment, Chair calls the maker of the amendment, Representative Borowski.

We are working on every front to rein in the high cost of utilities for our consumers, and this is yet another way we are working to do that. So thank you very much, Rep. Oppen, for your work on this legislation. On the amendment, do I hear any no votes? So we do have members that want to discuss the amendment, And, of course, the amendment is largely gutting the underlying bill. So I guess if we would have some members that would want to do – we have members that would like to discuss the amendment coupled with the bill, presuming the amendment then would pass, and we could bring the debate to head right now if that suits the chair. That's fine with me. Discussions on the bill and the amendment? Are we – Representative Kaufman?

You're welcome. Representative Cahill.

Thank you, Representative. The chair recognizes Representative Williams.

Representative Nelson.

Thank you, Representative. Chairman Metzger.

In my opinion, the amendment looks out for Pennsylvania consumers. Ms. Brooks, call the roll.

On the amendment, I'll call the roll on the amendment.

The amendment passes having the majority of the votes. The chair calls up House Bill 2184. Are there any discussion on the bill as amended? We would just renew our comments from earlier as we discussed the bill as amended prior. Ms. Brooks, call the roll.

Having the majority of the votes, the bill passes. This concludes the business of the committee. Thank you.