HB 969 — An Act providing for management of responsible outdoor night lighting; and imposing duties on the Department of General Services.

PRINTER'S NO.   1050

                   THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                       HOUSE BILL
                       No. 969
                                              Session of
                                                2025

     INTRODUCED BY PIELLI, SANCHEZ, HILL-EVANS, MADDEN, VENKAT,
        RIVERA, GIRAL, FREEMAN, KHAN, DIAMOND, KENYATTA, D. WILLIAMS
        AND HOWARD, MARCH 19, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND NATURAL RESOURCE
        PROTECTION, MARCH 19, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Providing for management of responsible outdoor night lighting;
 2      and imposing duties on the Department of General Services.
 3      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 4   hereby enacts as follows:
 5   Section 1.   Short title.
 6      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Responsible
 7   Outdoor Lighting Control Act.
 8   Section 2.   Intent.
 9      Government structures, facilities, places and spaces should
10   serve as models of best practices for private structures,
11   facilities, places and spaces. This Commonwealth should
12   encourage residents, business owners and others to join in
13   transitioning to responsible lighting principles.
14   Section 3.   Definitions.
15      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
16   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
17   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 1      "BUG rating."   A luminaire classification system, developed
 2   by the United States Illuminating Engineering Society (IES),
 3   that ranks and defines how many lumens of light a lighting unit
 4   emits backwards, upwards and in glare.
 5      "Construction."   The process of building, altering, improving
 6   or demolishing any public structure or building, or other public
 7   improvements of any kind, to any public real property. The term
 8   does not include the routine operation or maintenance of
 9   existing structures, buildings or real property.
10      "Correlated color temperature" or "CCT."    A color of the
11   light perceived by the eye that replicates the Kelvin
12   temperature spectrum of a metal object when heated, with
13   "warmer" colors toward the red end of the spectrum and "cooler"
14   colors toward the blue end of the spectrum.
15      "Environmentally sensitive area."     A State game land, State
16   forest, State park or State natural heritage area. The term
17   includes an area that is an exemplary ecological community that
18   would be easily disturbed or degraded by human activity and
19   development, as determined by the relevant State agency, State-
20   aided entity or State-related institution, in consultation with
21   the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
22      "Fully shielded."   A lighting unit that is constructed in
23   such a manner that all light emitted, either directly from the
24   lamp or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of
25   the lighting unit, is projected below the horizontal plane, in
26   accordance with the following:
27          (1)   The downward-pointing beam of light should
28      preferably be cast within an angle of 60 degrees or less from
29      the vertical.
30          (2)   No part of the lamp should protrude outside of the

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 1      lighting unit or shield.
 2      "Glare."    Light emitted by a lighting unit that causes
 3   reduced visibility of objects or momentary blindness.
 4      "Lamp."    The component of a lighting unit that produces
 5   light.
 6      "Light pollution."    The scattering of artificial light into
 7   the nighttime sky, caused by excessive or improperly positioned
 8   artificial outdoor lighting, resulting in sky glow, light
 9   trespass and glare.
10      "Light trespass."    Light emitted by a lighting unit that
11   shines beyond the boundaries of the property on which the
12   lighting unit is located.
13      "Lighting unit."    A complete artificial illuminating device,
14   installed or portable, including a lamp, together with the parts
15   designed to distribute the light, such as a reflector or
16   refractor, parts to position and protect the lamps and parts to
17   connect the lamps to the power supply.
18      "Lumen."    A specific standard unit of measurement of luminous
19   flux.
20      "Outdoor lighting unit."    Outdoor artificial illuminating
21   devices, installed or portable, used for flood lighting, roadway
22   lighting and area lighting, general illumination or
23   advertisement.
24      "Partially shielded lighting unit."    A lighting unit that
25   projects or directs its light parallel to or above the
26   horizontal plane. The light from a lighting unit may be emitted
27   either directly from the lamp or indirectly by reflection or
28   refraction from any part of the lighting unit producing
29   significant light pollution.
30      "Permanent outdoor lighting unit."    An outdoor lighting unit

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 1   or system of lighting units that is outdoors and that is used
 2   for seven days or longer.
 3      "Reflective roadway marking."         Lines and markers with
 4   reflective properties to aid with vehicular and pedestrian
 5   safety.
 6      "Reflective signage."     Roadway and informational signage that
 7   has reflective properties to aid with vehicular and pedestrian
 8   safety.
 9      "Responsible lighting principles."         The use of advanced
10   lighting technologies, including shielding, an upper limit on
11   CCT, on-off controls, dimming controls, motion sensors, phosphor
12   applications and RGB or red, green and blue diodes. All
13   applicable lighting shall utilize the best lighting technologies
14   practically available at the time at which a lamp or other light
15   fixture is installed or replaced.
16      "Roadway lighting."     Permanent outdoor lighting units that
17   are specifically intended to illuminate roadways for vehicular
18   traffic.
19      "Sky glow."     Brightening of the night sky over inefficiently
20   and improperly lit areas.
21      "State agency."     Any of the following, as the terms are
22   defined under 62 Pa.C.S. § 103 (relating to definitions):
23             (1)   An executive agency.
24             (2)   An independent agency.
25             (3)   A State-affiliated entity.
26      "State-aided entity."     A political subdivision or other
27   governmental unit that receives State funds directly or
28   indirectly for construction.
29      "State-related institution."        The Pennsylvania State
30   University, the University of Pittsburgh, Lincoln University or

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 1   Temple University.
 2      "Wallpack light."       Lighting units that are fixed to a
 3   building's exterior, usually on a wall that faces outward from a
 4   building.
 5   Section 4.     Outdoor lighting control.
 6      (a)   Restrictions on outdoor lighting units.--A State agency,
 7   State-related institution or State-aided entity may not install
 8   or replace permanent outdoor lighting units or lamps unless the
 9   following conditions are met:
10            (1)   The permanent outdoor lighting unit is fully
11      shielded and emits:
12                  (i)    Backward light not above an angle of 60 degrees
13            or less from the downward vertical direction.
14                  (ii)    Zero lumens upward and corresponding to the IES
15            rating of U0 on the BUG rating system.
16                  (iii)   Forward or sideways light not above an angle
17            of 60 degrees from the downward vertical direction to
18            eliminate glare.
19            (2)   Outdoor lighting units are established in ways to
20      avoid light trespass. In environmentally sensitive areas,
21      light trespass must be completely eliminated. In all other
22      areas, light trespass at the property boundary may not exceed
23      0.5 lux. This paragraph shall not apply to existing light
24      fixtures in place as of the effective date of this paragraph.
25            (3)   Any wallpack lights must be fully shielded to an
26      angle of no more than 60 degrees from the downward vertical
27      direction to eliminate glare and light trespass.
28            (4)   The lighting units shall have a correlated color
29      temperature less than or equal to 3,000K. In residential
30      areas, CCT may not exceed 2,700K. In dark sky locations or

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 1    environmentally sensitive areas, CCT may not exceed 2,200K. A
 2    lighting unit may not have a CCT that exceeds 3,000K, except
 3    as provided in subsection (d).
 4        (5)   The use of outdoor lighting must be minimized to
 5    only that which is needed for comfort and safety, as
 6    determined by the State agency, State-related institution or
 7    State-aided entity having jurisdiction over the property,
 8    while complying with responsible lighting principles. The
 9    agency having jurisdiction of the property shall consider the
10    following for buildings, to the extent consistent with
11    comfort and safety needs:
12              (i)    Placing lights only at entrances and exits.
13              (ii)    Utilizing low intensity facade lighting that
14        ensures that the light projects downward and that no
15        lighting spills beyond the facade being lit.
16              (iii)    Turning off or dimming lighting units between
17        11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
18        (6)   Lighting units in locations that are not in use
19    after 11 p.m., including in environmentally sensitive areas,
20    must use timers set to turn off after 11 p.m. or be equipped
21    with motion sensors or manual switches.
22        (7)   Light trespass from the interior of a building or
23    structure must be minimized by lowering window shades after
24    sunset or by turning off lighting when not in use.
25        (8)   At the time of installation or replacement of
26    lighting units for roadways, the State agency, State-related
27    institution or State-aided entity with jurisdiction over the
28    roadway shall determine whether reflective roadway markings
29    or reflective signage are appropriate and safe for the
30    situation in lieu of outdoor lighting. Reflective roadway

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 1    markings and reflective signage shall be used unless it is
 2    determined by the agency having jurisdiction over the roadway
 3    that adequate lighting cannot be achieved by reflective
 4    means.
 5          (9)   For lighting fixtures located within the State
 6    Capitol Complex determined by the Capitol Preservation
 7    Committee to be historic in nature, light bulbs shall be
 8    transitioned to bulbs with a CCT exceeding 1,800K. This
 9    paragraph shall not apply to the Capitol Dome.
10    (b)   Replacement of current lighting units.--
11          (1)   A lighting unit with lamps greater than 3,000K that
12    was installed prior to the effective date of this paragraph
13    and that produce light pollution is not required to be
14    replaced until the end of the life of the lamp but shall
15    comply with subsection (c).
16          (2)   At the end of the life of an existing lamp,
17    partially shielded lighting units shall be fitted with a new
18    lamp with a CCT that does not exceed 3,000K and shall be
19    remediated, either by repositioning or by full shielding, so
20    that the light casts to an angle of not more than 60 degrees
21    from the downward vertical direction.
22          (3)   If a State agency, State-related institution or
23    State-aided entity currently operates unshielded or partially
24    shielded lighting units, the following shall apply:
25                (i)   All unshielded or partially shielded lighting
26          units shall be:
27                      (A)   immediately remediated upon the end of the
28                life of the lamp with a new lamp with a CCT that does
29                not exceed 3,000K; and
30                      (B)   remediated either by repositioning the

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 1                  lighting unit or by fully shielding the lamp so that
 2                  the light casts to an angle of no more than 60
 3                  degrees from the downward vertical direction.
 4                  (ii)   If a State agency, State-related institution or
 5            State-aided entity chooses to replace current, unshielded
 6            or partially shielded lighting units before the end of
 7            the life of the lamp, the State agency, State-related
 8            institution or State-aided entity may not purchase new,
 9            unshielded or partially shielded lighting units as
10            replacements. If the State agency, State-related
11            institution or State-aided entity purchases new,
12            unshielded or partially shielded lighting units as
13            replacements, the State agency, State-related institution
14            or State-aided entity may not receive State assistance
15            with the cost of the new lighting units.
16      (c)   Repositioning of current lighting units.--Wherever
17   possible, existing partially shielded and unshielded lighting
18   units shall be repositioned so as to minimize glare, light
19   trespass and upward-directed light.
20      (d)   Exceptions.--The following instances shall be exempt
21   from the requirements of subsection (a):
22            (1)   If Federal laws, rules or regulations preempt State
23      regulations.
24            (2)   If fire, police, rescue or repair personnel need
25      light for temporary emergencies or road repair work.
26            (3)   If it has been determined that a reasonable safety
27      and security interest exists, including lighting required for
28      the proper functioning of a security camera, at correctional
29      facilities, school facilities, including at a State-related
30      institution or other public college or university, and

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 1      hospital facilities that cannot be addressed by another
 2      method without increasing the cost or reducing the
 3      effectiveness of the lighting.
 4          (4)     The lighting units on active sports or show grounds
 5      may use lamps greater than 3,000K, but only for the duration
 6      of a specific practice, match or event. Lighting units shall
 7      be positioned, angled or shielded so as to prevent direct
 8      glare and light trespass onto neighboring property. The
 9      shielding must fully eliminate directly upward light
10      emission.
11   Section 5.   Resources.
12      The Department of General Services shall make available the
13   following resources to encourage the utilization of responsible
14   lighting principles, prepared in collaboration with the
15   Department of Conservation and Natural Resources:
16          (1)     A model municipal ordinance or resolution for a
17      political subdivision or other governmental unit.
18          (2)     A resource guide for the public encouraging the
19      utilization of responsible lighting principles in homes and
20      businesses.
21   Section 6.   Other laws.
22      This act shall not supersede any other Federal or State law
23   controlling lighting, outdoor lighting units or signage, outdoor
24   advertising, displays or devices.
25   Section 7.   Applicability.
26      The requirements of this act shall apply to the following:
27          (1)     Lighting on or in all newly constructed, renovated
28      or retrofitted State property, whether that property is owned
29      or leased by the Commonwealth, including rights-of-way,
30      roadways and sidewalks, spaces, facilities, properties,

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1      nonhabitable structures, monuments and flagpoles.
2          (2)   A State agency.
3          (3)   A construction project undertaken by a State-related
4      institution or State-aided entity, if the construction
5      project is directly funded by the Commonwealth or a State
6      agency.
7   Section 8.   Effective date.
8      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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