PRINTER'S NO. 1235
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No.1113
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY SMITH-WADE-EL, HOHENSTEIN, VENKAT, SANCHEZ, RABB,
ISAACSON, HILL-EVANS, BENHAM, SCHLOSSBERG, KHAN, FIEDLER,
BELLMON, OTTEN, WAXMAN, GREEN, KAZEEM, GIRAL, FRANKEL,
RIVERA, CURRY, KENYATTA, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, MADDEN, BOYD,
KRAJEWSKI, KINKEAD AND N. NELSON, APRIL 3, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, APRIL 3, 2025
AN ACT
Establishing the Office of New Pennsylvanians and providing for
its powers and duties; establishing the Office of New
Pennsylvanians Restricted Account; and establishing the
Advisory Committee to Office of New Pennsylvanians and
providing for its powers, duties and membership.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1. Preliminary Provisions
Section 101. Short title.
Section 102. Legislative policy and declarations.
Section 103. Definitions.
Chapter 3. Office of New Pennsylvanians
Section 301. Establishment of office.
Section 302. Powers and duties of office.
Section 303. Office of New Pennsylvanians Restricted Account.
Chapter 5. Advisory Committee to Office of New Pennsylvanians
Section 501. Establishment of advisory committee.
Section 502. Membership.
Section 503. Powers and duties of advisory committee.
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18 Chapter 7. Miscellaneous Provisions
Section 701. Applicability of other statutes.
Section 702. Effective date.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
CHAPTER 1
PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
Section 101. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Office of New
Pennsylvanians Act.
Section 102. Legislative policy and declarations.
The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
(1) According to the United States Census Bureau, in
2018, Pennsylvania ranked 42nd among the 50 states in
population growth since 2010, increasing only 0.86%.
(2) In 2019, Pennsylvania's 893,167 foreign-born
individuals comprised 7% of this Commonwealth's population,
an increase of 75.7% since 2000, compared to only 1.2% growth
in the United-States-born population.
(3) Throughout this Commonwealth's history, immigrants
have played a critical role in this Commonwealth's economic,
cultural and political growth and success.
(4) Policies that promote the attraction, retention and
inclusion of immigrants and refugees will help enhance this
Commonwealth's economy and diversity, thereby improving the
lives of all residents and helping to remove barriers that
may undermine immigrants' full potential.
(5) Immigrants currently fill skilled positions
throughout this Commonwealth's economy and are a vital part
of this Commonwealth's economy and tax base. In 2019,
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30 immigrant business owners in this Commonwealth generated more
than $1,700,000,000 in business revenue and immigrant
spending power increased to $24,900,000,000.
(6) Forty percent of immigrants in this Commonwealth
have a bachelor of arts, bachelor of science or graduate
degree, compared to 32% of United-States-born Pennsylvanians.
(7) Organizations are providing leadership in this
Commonwealth's immigrant integration efforts through programs
and services that connect newcomers and longtime
Pennsylvanians to economic opportunity.
(8) It is essential for this Commonwealth's future that
skilled, energetic and entrepreneurial immigrants are
attracted, retained and integrated. Immigrants help to
bolster this Commonwealth's economy and strengthen the
social, civic and cultural fabric.
(9) States enforce and provide for many services,
licenses and educational and economic opportunities that make
it imperative to coordinate the work of state agencies,
leverage relationships with partner and nonprofit
organizations and recommend policies and programs that
support immigrant inclusion. Immigrants on the path to full
civic and economic participation benefit from a welcoming
environment and policies that:
(i) Increase access to English language instruction
and workforce development and employment.
(ii) Reduce exploitation and fraud against
immigrants.
(iii) Connect new Pennsylvanians to legal services
and assist on the path to naturalization.
(iv) Provide individuals with meaningful access to
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30 Commonwealth resources and opportunities regardless of
English proficiency.
(10) In recognition of these facts and in promotion of
the stated goals, the creation of the Office of New
Pennsylvanians will help improve the lives and economic
prosperity of immigrants and Pennsylvanians generally.
Section 103. 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:
"Advisory committee." The Advisory Committee to Office of
New Pennsylvanians established in section 501.
"Department." The Department of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
"Office." The Office of New Pennsylvanians established in
section 301.
"Secretary." The Secretary of Community and Economic
Development of the Commonwealth.
CHAPTER 3
OFFICE OF NEW PENNSYLVANIANS
Section 301. Establishment of office.
(a) Establishment.-- The Office of New Pennsylvanians is
established within the department.
(b) Administrative services and staff.--
(1) The department shall provide administrative services
and staff, including counsel and legal staff, to the office
and to the advisory committee.
(2) The office shall reimburse the department for the
cost and expenses of providing the administrative services
and staff under paragraph (1). No more than 5% of the funding
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30 appropriated annually to the office shall be used for
administrative costs and expenses.
Section 302. Powers and duties of office.
The office shall:
(1) Respond to inquiries from Commonwealth agencies, the
media, immigrant-serving organizations and the public about
immigration issues in this Commonwealth.
(2) Serve as point of contact for Commonwealth licensing
boards and the Bureau of Professional and Occupational
Affairs.
(3) Serve as an information clearinghouse for
Commonwealth agencies on immigration-related policy issues
and coordinate among agencies as appropriate.
(4) Analyze economic, demographic and other trends
impacting immigrants in this Commonwealth and make policy
recommendations.
(5) Ensure that the Commonwealth is gathering relevant
data to inform the Commonwealth's policy making on immigrant
issues.
(6) Develop strategies to attract, retain and integrate
immigrants into this Commonwealth.
(7) Convene stakeholders in business development and
international trade promotion programs to increase capacity
to utilize immigrant contributors.
(8) Disseminate information to new and prospective
immigrant residents of this Commonwealth who wish to invest
capital, launch businesses or apply their skills in this
Commonwealth.
(9) Convene municipal officials to boost peer learning
on increasing immigration in cities of the third class
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30 struggling with population loss and economic decline.
(10) Convene college and university officials to foster
learning on strategies for immigrant and international
student retention.
(11) Provide matching grant funds for high-quality
immigration and economic development programs that can
demonstrate corporate or philanthropic investment.
(12) Disseminate information about available services to
assist new and prospective immigrant residents of this
Commonwealth on the path to naturalization.
(13) Disseminate information about legal services
available to new Pennsylvanians in civil legal matters,
including housing, family, immigration and other matters.
(14) Disseminate information about English language
instruction and resources available to immigrant residents of
this Commonwealth.
(15) Convene stakeholders in Commonwealth agencies,
immigrant-serving organizations and the public to identify
and reduce exploitation and fraud against immigrants.
(16) Convene stakeholders in Commonwealth agencies,
immigrant-serving organizations and the public to promote
race, sex, gender, age, income and LGBTQ equity and to
identify and reduce inequities.
(17) Develop strategies to provide immigrants with
meaningful access to Commonwealth resources and opportunities
regardless of their level of English proficiency.
(18) Evaluate the success of activities and adjust
courses as appropriate.
Section 303. Office of New Pennsylvanians Restricted Account.
The Office of New Pennsylvanians Restricted Account is
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30 established as a restricted account in the General Fund. Money
appropriated by the General Assembly for the office shall be
deposited into the restricted account for use by the office to
carry out its powers and duties under section 302.
CHAPTER 5
ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO
OFFICE OF NEW PENNSYLVANIANS
Section 501. Establishment of advisory committee.
The Advisory Committee to Office of New Pennsylvanians is
established within the office and shall serve in an advisory
capacity to the office in matters regarding immigrants in this
Commonwealth. The advisory committee shall be staffed and
administered by the office.
Section 502. Membership.
(a) Public official members.--The advisory committee shall
consist of the following members, who shall serve by virtue of
their public position:
(1) The secretary or a designee.
(2) The Secretary of Administration or a designee.
(3) The Secretary of Education or a designee.
(4) The Secretary of Health or a designee.
(5) The Secretary of Human Services or a designee.
(6) The Secretary of Labor and Industry or a designee.
(7) The Secretary of Transportation or a designee.
(8) The Commissioner of Pennsylvania State Police or a
designee.
(9) The Attorney General or a designee from the Office
of the Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection.
(b) Nongovernmental members.--The advisory committee shall
consist of nongovernmental members to be appointed by the
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(1) Three members from an organization that attracts,
retains and integrates immigrants into this Commonwealth's
economic, cultural and civic affairs. The advisory committee
shall establish a minimum of three regions within this
Commonwealth for the purpose of appointing one member from
each region.
(2) One member from a Pennsylvania chapter of the
American Immigration Lawyers Association.
(3) One member from an institution of higher education
who has a primary focus on immigration issues.
(4) One member from the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business
and Industry or a similar local advocate for economic
improvement.
(5) One member with expertise in promoting language
access plans.
(6) One member from an agency focused on providing
English language instruction to speakers of other languages.
(7) One member from the Pennsylvania banking sector.
(8) One member from a workforce training agency.
(9) One member from the health care sector.
(10) One member from an agency working to increase
immigrants' access to health care services.
(11) One member from a human services agency.
(12) One member from an agency focused on working with
immigrants in matters of tenants' rights.
(13) One member from the Pennsylvania Manufacturers'
Association.
(c) Voting.--
(1) All members appointed shall hold voting privileges
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30 on all matters brought for consideration before the advisory
committee.
(2) A simple majority of members with current
appointments to the advisory committee shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of any business. An action adopted
by the majority of the members present at a meeting in which
there is a quorum shall be deemed to be an act of the
advisory committee.
(d) Terms.--
(1) The terms of the members under subsection (a) shall
be concurrent with their holding of the public office.
(2) A member appointed under subsection (b) shall serve
a three-year term as long as they represent the interest of
the membership class for which they were appointed and shall
serve until a successor is appointed.
(e) Chairperson.--The secretary shall serve as chairperson
of the advisory committee.
(f) Expenses of members.--Members of the advisory committee
shall receive no compensation for their services. Members who
are not employees of State government shall be reimbursed at
established Commonwealth rates for expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties on the advisory committee.
Section 503. Powers and duties of advisory committee.
(a) General rule.--The advisory committee shall:
(1) Make recommendations to the Governor and the
secretary on policies, procedures, regulations and
legislation to attract, retain and integrate immigrants into
this Commonwealth's society.
(2) Serve as the Governor's liaison to new
Pennsylvanians on policies, procedures, regulations and
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30 legislation that affect immigrants, in order to ensure that
State government is accessible, accountable and responsive to
the needs of immigrants.
(3) Serve as a resource to all departments, commissions
and agencies under the Governor's jurisdiction to ensure that
government entities are cognizant of the needs of immigrants
and that the entities' respective services and programs are
accessible to immigrants.
(4) Work with the office to monitor the practices of
Commonwealth agencies relating to the attraction, retention
and integration of immigrants in order to maximize the
efficiency and accessibility to State government.
(5) Perform other duties as the Governor and secretary
may assign in planning for services and programs for
immigrants.
(b) Studies and reports.--The advisory committee may conduct
studies and issue reports as necessary on issues affecting
immigrants in this Commonwealth.
(c) Public hearings.--The advisory committee shall conduct
at least one public hearing each year to receive testimony and
public comments on improving the attraction, retention and
integration of immigrants in this Commonwealth.
(d) Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to prevent the advisory committee from establishing ad
hoc work groups or local committees to assist in research and
other duties necessary to carry out the mission of the office.
CHAPTER 7
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 701. Applicability of other statutes.
The following acts shall apply to the office and the advisory
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30 committee:
(1) The act of July 19, 1957 (P.L.1017, No.451), known
as the State Adverse Interest Act.
(2) The act of February 14, 2008 (P.L.6, No.3), known as
the Right-to-Know Law.
(3) The provisions of 65 Pa.C.S. Chs. 7 (relating to
open meetings) and 11 (relating to ethics standards and
financial disclosure).
Section 702. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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