Bills bolstering school bus safety, requiring electricians to be licensed and making insurance cover colorectal cancer screenings at a younger age were signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro in October in a slew of legislation that became law in Pennsylvania.
The state’s high-profile bell-to-bell banning of cellphones in schools was among 58 bills signed by Shapiro.
Here is a look at several other bills that affect public safety, content creation and testing products on animals.
Protecting dogs and cats
Certain animal experimentation and testing, along with selling animal-tested cosmetics, will be prohibited in Pennsylvania under the Beagle Bill.
Sponsored by Republican Sen. Doug Mastriano, of Franklin County, the bill restricts state funds that support research projects involving cats or dogs and creates a wider pathway for animals to be adopted after their use for research.
It cleared both chambers by unanimous votes.
“By working to reduce or eliminate funding for painful experiments and procedures when alternative methods exist, requiring adoption and minimum care standards for dogs bred for testing, and focusing on the development and use of faster and more reliable testing methods, we can end cruel and needless suffering, save taxpayer money, and reform the use of animals in experiments,” Mastriano wrote in his bill memo.
Disclosing AI use
Content creators are required to disclose when they make something with AI, or artificial intelligence.
The consumer protection measure designed to combat scams covers images, audio, video and text used for the sale of consumer goods.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Nick Pisciottano, of Allegheny County, cleared the Senate by a 48-2 vote and a 163-40 vote in the House.
Carrying guns
Law enforcement officers with the Pennsylvania Office of State Inspector General can now carry firearms to perform their jobs.
Officers must complete basic firearms training and annual training, as well, to carry a gun on the job.
The bill was sponsored by state Rep. Scott Conklin, a Democrat from Centre County. It cleared the House by a 173-29 vote and a unanimous vote in the Senate.
Wearing body cameras
County parole officers in Pennsylvania can wear body cameras, joining state probation officers, sheriff’s deputies, municipal police and state police.
“County parole agents frequently put themselves in danger while working,” state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, a Democrat from Erie County, wrote in his bill’s memo. “With body cameras, these recordings can promote transparency between the officers and the communities they serve.”
Bizzarro’s bill cleared the House 195-7 and passed the Senate by a 42-8 vote.
Warning of dam hazards
Owners of run-of-the-river dams are now required to post warning signs so people know where they are along Pennsylvania’s waterways.
The state is a leader in dam-related drownings, according to state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, a Republican who represents parts of Allegheny and Washington counties. Her legislation cleared both chambers by unanimous votes.
The bill requires a notice to be sent to owners of the dams that will detail the requirements for safe marking practices to warn the public of the hazards posed by the dams that create electricity using a river’s natural flow without building a deep-water storage reservoir.
