Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania House Bill HB1146 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version

                             
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.--
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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 
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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: 
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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