PRINTER'S NO. 1267 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No.1146 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY HOHENSTEIN, WAXMAN, GIRAL, FIEDLER, PIELLI, KHAN, SANCHEZ, SOLOMON, HILL-EVANS, KRAJEWSKI, DELLOSO, CIRESI, OTTEN, O'MARA, GREEN, DOUGHERTY, BENHAM, RIVERA, KINKEAD AND MAYES, APRIL 4, 2025 REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, APRIL 4, 2025 AN ACT Amending Titles 53 (Municipalities Generally) and 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in taxation for public transportation, further providing for local financial support; and, in fees, further providing for fee for local use. The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows: Section 1. Section 8602 of Title 53 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read: § 8602. Local financial support. (a) Imposition.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a county [of the second class] may, at the county's discretion, by ordinance or resolution, obtain financial support for transit and transportation systems and transportation infrastructure by imposing one or more of the taxes under subsection (b). Money obtained from the imposition shall be deposited into a restricted account of the county. (b) Taxes.-- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 (1) A county [of the second class] may, by ordinance, impose any of the following taxes: (i) A tax on the sale at retail of liquor and malt and brewed beverages within the county. The ordinance shall be modeled on the act of June 10, 1971 (P.L.153, No.7), known as the First Class School District Liquor Sales Tax Act of 1971, and the rate of tax authorized under this subparagraph may not exceed the rate established under that act. (ii) An excise tax on each renting of a rental vehicle in the county. The rate of tax authorized under this subparagraph may not exceed the rate established under section 2301(e) of the act of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of 1971. As used in this subparagraph, the term "rental vehicle" has the meaning given to it in section 1601-A of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. (iii) A tax upon a transfer of real property or an interest in real property within the limits of the county, regardless of where the instruments making the transfers are made, executed or delivered or where the actual settlements on the transfer take place, to the extent that the transactions are subject to the tax imposed by Article XI-C of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. A tax imposed under this subparagraph shall not exceed 0.5% of rate limitations provided by sections 307, 311 and 320 of the act of December 31, 1965 (P.L.1257, No.511), known as The Local Tax Enabling Act. (iv) In addition to the tax imposed under Article III of the Tax Reform Code of 1971, a surtax not to 20250HB1146PN1267 - 2 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 exceed 0.2% of the tax imposed on the taxable income of resident and nonresident individuals as provided for under Article III of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. (v) In addition to the tax imposed under Article II of the Tax Reform Code of 1971, a surtax equal to 0.25% imposed on the purchase price of tangible personal property and services subject to taxation under Article II of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. (vi) An annual personal property tax on motor vehicles, to be paid upon initial registration and renewal, not to exceed 0.5% on the fair market value of passenger vehicles, trucks with a registered weight of 11,000 pounds and under, motorcycles and recreational motor home vehicles registered within the county. (vii) A local services tax in accordance with Chapter 3 of The Local Tax Enabling Act, at a rate not to exceed $3 per week, or $156 per year. A county levying the local services tax shall, by ordinance, exempt any person from the local services tax whose total earned income and net profits from all sources within the county are less than 200% of the Federal poverty guidelines, as published in the Federal Register for the calendar year in which the local services tax is levied. (2) (Reserved). (b.1) Computation of sales and use tax.--Within 30 days of the notification of a county of the adoption of a tax under subsection (b)(1)(v), the department shall establish a combined schedule for the computation of the State sales and use tax and the State sales and use surtax as established under subsection (b)(1)(v) and shall: 20250HB1146PN1267 - 3 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (1) Collect the surtax and remit the surtax proceeds quarterly to the appropriate taxing authority. (2) Transmit the schedule providing for the combined computation of the State sales and use tax and the State sales and use surtax to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. (b.2) Computation of personal property tax on motor vehicles.--For purposes of subsection (b)(1)(vi), the fair market value of a vehicle shall be calculated in a manner prescribed by the Department of Transportation. A notice of the calculation shall be transmitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. (b.3) Administration.-- (1) The taxes authorized under subsection (b)(1)(iii) and (iv) shall be administered, collected and enforced under The Local Tax Enabling Act. (2) The tax authorized under subsection (b)(1)(v) shall be administered, collected and enforced under the Tax Reform Code of 1971. (3) In administering this subsection, the department may promulgate and enforce regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this section. (4) To cover the costs of administration, the department may retain a sum equal to the costs of administration. (b.4) Construction.--Except as otherwise inconsistent with this section, the provisions of Articles II, III and XI-C of the Tax Reform Code of 1971 shall apply to the taxes imposed under subsection (b). 20250HB1146PN1267 - 4 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (b.5) Grants by counties.-- (1) A county may make annual grants from current revenues or from revenue derived from taxes levied by the county under this section to local transportation organizations to assist in defraying the costs of operations, maintenance and debt service of a local transportation organization or of a particular mass transportation project of a local transportation organization and to enter into long-term agreements providing for the payment of the costs. (2) The obligation of a county under an agreement under paragraph (1) shall not be considered to be a part of the county's indebtedness, nor shall the obligation be deemed to impair the status of any indebtedness of the county which would otherwise be considered as self-sustaining. (3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to preclude two or more counties from entering into an agreement to jointly make grants from current revenues or from revenue derived from taxes levied by a county under this section to a local transportation organization or to a particular mass transportation project of a local transportation organization or to jointly enter into long-term agreements for providing these types of payments. (4) A county may make use of the money from current revenues or from revenue derived from taxes levied by the county under this section for Commonwealth, county or municipal transportation infrastructure purposes described under 75 Pa.C.S. § 9010(b)(2)(i) (relating to disposition and use of tax). The money may supplement or match money provided by the Motor License Fund, the Multimodal Transportation Fund or the Liquid Fuels Tax Fund. 20250HB1146PN1267 - 5 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (b.6) Regulations.--The department may promulgate regulations, including temporary regulations, as may be necessary and appropriate to administer the provisions of this section, according to the following: (1) The department shall transmit any temporary regulations to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. (2) Regulations promulgated by the department during the two years following the effective date of this paragraph shall be deemed temporary regulations. (3) Temporary regulations shall expire no later than three years following the publication of the temporary regulations, or upon promulgation of final regulations, whichever occurs first. (4) The department may promulgate temporary regulations not subject to: (i) Sections 201, 202, 203, 204 and 205 of the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.769, No.240), referred to as the Commonwealth Documents Law. (ii) The act of June 25, 1982 (P.L.633, No.181), known as the Regulatory Review Act. (c) [Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term "county of the second class" shall not include a county of the second class A.] Definitions.--As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: "County." Any of the following: (1) A county of the first class. 20250HB1146PN1267 - 6 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 (2) A county of the second class. (3) A county of the second class A. (4) A county of the third class with a population of at least 525,000 but less than 540,000, based on the 2020 Federal decennial census. "Department." The Department of Revenue of the Commonwealth. Section 2. Section 1935 of Title 75 is amended by adding a subsection to read: § 1935. Fee for local use. * * * (b.1) Urban and suburban counties.--Beginning after June 30, 2025, a county of the first class, a county of the second class, a county of the second class A or a county of the third class with a population above 525,000 and less than 540,000 based on the 2020 Federal decennial census may, in its discretion, by ordinance, impose a fee of $5 in addition to the fee in subsection (b) for each nonexempt vehicle registered to an address located in the county. A county of the first class, a county of the second class, a county of the second class A or a county of the third class with a population above 525,000 and less than 540,000 based on the 2020 Federal decennial census shall notify the department of the passage of the ordinance 90 days prior to the effective date of the ordinance. * * * Section 3. Nothing in this act shall be construed as modifying State operating or capital funding formula allocations, or corresponding local match requirements, for local transportation organizations provided for under 74 Pa.C.S. Pt. II on the effective date of this section. Section 4. This act shall take effect in 120 days. 20250HB1146PN1267 - 7 - 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30