Last week, several of the PA Chamber’s Bringing PA Back policy initiatives moved through the General Assembly.

The House and Senate Finance Committees passed mirror proposals – S.B. 463 and H.B. 952, both of which would create a  Sales and Use Tax exemption for certain equipment purchased by data centers.  In a memo sent prior to the committee votes, the PA Chamber noted how these bills would improve the Commonwealth’s competitiveness by aligning Pennsylvania’s tax treatment of data centers to what already occurs in 29 other states.

“This legislation would incentivize companies to locate their data centers in Pennsylvania, creating capital investment and family sustaining jobs as a result,” the memo notes.

Bills to improve the state’s regulatory climate were also voted on by two House Committees.  In a party-line vote, the House State Government Committee approved H.B. 950 to allow the General Assembly to repeal any regulation currently in effect.  The House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee also advanced several PA Chamber-supported regulatory reform bills:  House Bill 72 would require legislative approval on regulations with an economic impact or that exceeds $1 million; House Bill 139 would require agencies to post information on their website about permit applications  to create an accessible tracking system for applicants to check their status;  finally, H.B. 288 would require state agencies to designate an employee as the agency’s regulatory compliance officer.

The PA Chamber has repeatedly heard from our members that the state’s regulatory environment is overly burdensome and can often serve as a barrier to growth.  As part of our Bringing PA Back initiative, the PA Chamber has advocated for reforms that will eliminate unnecessary and outdated regulations and ease regulatory burdens on Commonwealth businesses.