HB 619 — An Act amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known as the Pennsylvania Election Code, providing for employee voter leave.

PRINTER'S NO.   630

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 619
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY ISAACSON, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, BRENNAN, CIRESI,
        DELLOSO, FREEMAN, GIRAL, GREEN, HILL-EVANS, KHAN, KINKEAD,
        O'MARA, OTTEN, SAMUELSON, SANCHEZ, SCHLOSSBERG, WARREN AND
        WAXMAN, FEBRUARY 20, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025


                                      AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), entitled
 2      "An act concerning elections, including general, municipal,
 3      special and primary elections, the nomination of candidates,
 4      primary and election expenses and election contests; creating
 5      and defining membership of county boards of elections;
 6      imposing duties upon the Secretary of the Commonwealth,
 7      courts, county boards of elections, county commissioners;
 8      imposing penalties for violation of the act, and codifying,
 9      revising and consolidating the laws relating thereto; and
10      repealing certain acts and parts of acts relating to
11      elections," providing for employee voter leave.
12      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13   hereby enacts as follows:
14      Section 1.    The act of June 3, 1937 (P.L.1333, No.320), known
15   as the Pennsylvania Election Code, is amended by adding an
16   article to read:
17                               ARTICLE VII-A
18                           EMPLOYEE VOTER LEAVE
19   Section 701-A.    Definitions.
20      The following words and phrases when used in this article
21   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
 1   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 2      "Employee."     An individual employed by a public or private
 3   entity.
 4   Section 702-A.     Time off to vote.
 5      (a)    Authorization.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
 6   law or regulation and in accordance with subsection (b), an
 7   employee may, without loss of pay or vacation or other leave,
 8   take off enough working time that, when added to the voting time
 9   available outside of working hours, will enable the employee to
10   vote.
11      (b)    Limitations.--
12             (1)   An employer is only required to allow for a total of
13      two hours of time off for voting by an employee without loss
14      of pay.
15             (2)   Time off for voting shall be at the beginning or end
16      of the regular working shift, whichever allows the most free
17      time for voting and the least time off from the regular
18      working shift, unless a different time is otherwise mutually
19      agreed to by the employer and employee.
20      (c)    Notice.--If, on the third working day prior to an
21   election, an employee knows or has reason to believe that time
22   off will be necessary to allow the employee to vote, the
23   employee shall give the employer at least two working days'
24   notice that the employee requires time off in accordance with
25   this section.
26      (d)    Prohibition.--An employer may not ask an employee to
27   divulge any information about the employee's party affiliation
28   or registration or any information on how the employee will vote
29   or whether the employee voted for or against any candidate or
30   ballot question.

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 1   Section 703-A.    Verification of employee voting.
 2      (a)   Proof of voting.--Presentation of written evidence of
 3   voting, as signed or stamped by an election officer, shall
 4   constitute proof of voting by the employee.
 5      (b)   Failure to verify.--If an employee fails to verify
 6   voting after taking time off for that purpose in accordance with
 7   section 702-A, the employer may make appropriate deductions from
 8   the salary or wages of the employee for the period during which
 9   the employee is entitled to be absent from employment.
10   Section 704-A.    Notice of leave allowance.
11      (a)   Posting required.--Not less than 10 days before an
12   election, every employer shall keep posted conspicuously at the
13   place of employment, if practicable, or elsewhere in the
14   workplace where it can be seen as employees enter and leave, a
15   notice providing the provisions of this article.
16      (b)   Uniform notice.--
17            (1)   The Secretary of the Commonwealth shall develop a
18      uniform notice for posting by employers in accordance with
19      subsection (a) and shall make the notice available for
20      download and printing on the Department of State's publicly
21      accessible Internet website.
22            (2)   The uniform notice shall be in English and other
23      languages that reflect the ethnic and racial demographics of
24      this Commonwealth.
25            (3)   The uniform notice shall not indicate or relay any
26      information related to or require information on party
27      affiliation, registration or how an employee will vote.
28   Section 705-A.    Failure to comply.
29      An employer that refuses an employee time off to vote as
30   required under this article, subjects an employee to a penalty

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1   or deduction of wages because of the exercise of the right to
2   time off work to vote or directly or indirectly violates this
3   article shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor
4   more than $500 for each violation.
5      Section 2.   This act shall take effect immediately.




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