Pennsylvania 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Pennsylvania House Bill HB294 Introduced / Bill

                     
PRINTER'S NO. 238 
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL 
No.294 
Session of 
2025 
INTRODUCED BY BIZZARRO, McNEILL, SHUSTERMAN, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI, 
SANCHEZ, KENYATTA, CERRATO, KHAN, HOHENSTEIN, DONAHUE, 
SCHLOSSBERG, HOWARD, DALEY, GREEN AND MADDEN, 
JANUARY 23, 2025 
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL AFFAIRS, 
JANUARY 23, 2025 
AN ACT
Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania 
Consolidated Statutes, in riot, disorderly conduct and 
related offenses, providing for whistleblower protection and 
further providing for nonapplicability of subchapter.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1.  Title 18 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated 
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§  5557.1.   Whistleblower protection. 
An employee of a business, nonprofit entity or government 
entity subject to this subchapter shall be deemed to be an 
employee under the act of December 12, 1986 (P.L.1559, No.169), 
known as the Whistleblower Law, with regard to a good faith 
report of a potential violation of this subchapter. A business, 
nonprofit entity or government entity subject to this  	subchapter 
shall be deemed to be an employer under the Whistleblower Law 
with regard to a good faith report of a potential violation of 
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Section 2.  Section 5561(b)(6) introductory paragraph of 
Title 18 is amended to read:
§ 5561.  Nonapplicability of subchapter.
* * *
(b)  Exemptions.--The provisions of this subchapter shall not 
apply to the following:
* * *
(6)  Conduct performed on animals actively involved in a  
bona fide  scientific or medical research  that is lawful under 
the laws of the United States or this Commonwealth relating 
to activities undertaken by a research facility that is one 
of the following:
* * *
Section 3.  This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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