HARRISBURG, PA – October 8, 2024 − Today, Democratic Leader Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) filed discharge petitions on three critical bills that have stalled in committee due to the inaction of Senate Republicans who have refused to bring these bills and hundreds of others to a vote. All three bills passed the House with bipartisan support in 2023.
These petitions require the full Senate to vote to remove the bill from committee without a committee vote. For over 15 months, these three bills languished in committee without a vote.
The three bills on which Senator Costa has filed motions for discharge are as follows:
- HB 300, known as the Fairness Act, would protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in Pennsylvania in the areas of housing, education or access to public accommodations. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives by a 102-98 majority on May 2, 2023, and has been in the Senate Government Committee as of May 3, 2023.
- HB714 would close loopholes that allow some gun purchases to be made without a background check. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives by a 109-92 majority on May 22, 2023, and has been in the Senate Judiciary Committee as of June 2, 2023.
- HB 1018 would establish Emergency Risk Protection Orders so that a person experiencing a crisis could be temporarily disarmed after a hearing before a judge. This bill was passed by the House of Representatives by a 102-99 majority on May 22, 2023, and has been in the Senate Judiciary Committee as of June 2, 2023.
“My colleagues and I in the Senate Democratic Caucus will not allow community safety and anti-discrimination bills to be rejected without a fight,” he added. said Senator Costa. “Protecting LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians from hate in housing, schools and community spaces is the bare minimum of what we owe them. Expanding background check requirements for gun purchases will keep firearms out of the hands of bad actors. Emergency risk protection orders will keep the people we love alive when they experience crisis, from veterans to parents, students and more.
“As we near the end of our legislative session, we will do the hard work that Senate Republicans refuse to do to ensure the safety, opportunity and quality of life of every Pennsylvanian.”
The popularity of these bills stands in the face of inaction seen in the Pennsylvania Senate. As the Pew report points out that 70% of Republicans and 92% of Democrats support background checks for private firearm sales and gun shows. As the 2019 APM study showed that 77% of Americans support emergency risk protection orders. More than three-quarters of U.S. adults want legislation to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination – according to a study conducted in 2022 at the University of Chicago. And just today Spotlight PA has noticed the popularity of these billseven across party lines, with 63% of respondents saying they strongly or somewhat agreed with an agenda that included gun safety and nondiscrimination laws.
With single-digit session days remaining before Sine Die, movement on these popular and bipartisan bills is critical if they are to be signed into law before November 30.
Learn more about Senate Democrats’ commitment to fighting for every Pennsylvanian here.
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