SB 194 — An Act Amending Titles 45 (Legal Notices) and 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in preliminary provisions, further providing for definitions; in legal advertising, further providing for use of trade publications and providing for local government unit advertising requirements; and, in open meetings, further providing for definitions.

PRINTER'S NO.    144

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        SENATE BILL
                        No. 194
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY MASTRIANO, PHILLIPS-HILL, PENNYCUICK, BROWN AND
        YAW, JANUARY 29, 2025

     REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JANUARY 29, 2025


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 45 (Legal Notices) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in legal advertising, providing for
 3      methods for advertising.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Title 45 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
 7   Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
 8   § 311.   Methods for advertising.
 9      (a)   Advertisement or notice requirements.--Notwithstanding
10   the provisions of this title or any law or regulation to the
11   contrary, when an advertisement or notice is required by law,
12   rule or regulation, a local government unit shall satisfy the
13   requirement by using one of the following methods:
14            (1)   a newspaper as defined in section 101 (relating to
15      definitions), printed or circulated generally in the county
16      in which the local government unit is located;
17            (2)   the local government unit's publicly accessible
18      Internet website; or
 1            (3)   the publicly accessible Internet website of a
 2      newspaper listed in paragraph (1) or any other publicly
 3      accessible Internet website that has the primary purpose of
 4      posting advertisements or notices.
 5      (b)   Legal journal requirement.--Use by a local government
 6   unit of a method specified in subsection (a) to satisfy the
 7   requirement to publish an advertisement or notice required by
 8   law, rule or regulation does not relieve the local government
 9   unit of the duty to publish in a legal journal if otherwise
10   required to by section 308 (relating to additional publication
11   in legal journals) or other provision of law.
12      (c)   Requirements for advertisements.--Use by a local
13   government unit of a method specified in subsection (a)(2) or
14   (3) to satisfy the requirement to publish an advertisement or
15   notice required by law, rule or regulation shall also require a
16   local government unit to do the following:
17            (1)   Post a copy of each advertisement or notice
18      prominently at the principal office of the local government
19      unit or at the public building in which the local government
20      unit meets. If an advertisement or notice is unable to be
21      posted at the principal office of the local government unit
22      or at the public building in which the local government unit
23      meets, the county in which the local government unit is
24      located shall provide space for the postings where the local
25      government unit is responsible for posting its advertisements
26      or notices.
27            (2)   Adopt a resolution declaring the local government
28      unit's intent to use one or more of the methods in subsection
29      (a)(2) or (3) to satisfy the requirement to publish an
30      advertisement or notice required by law, rule or regulation

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 1    prior to utilizing one of those methods. If the methods of
 2    advertising are revised or updated, the local government unit
 3    shall declare its intent by a new resolution and specifically
 4    identify the new methods of advertising. Following adoption
 5    of a resolution under this paragraph and prior to publishing
 6    an advertisement or notice using the methods specified in
 7    subsection (a)(2) or (3), the local government unit shall
 8    publish notice in all methods of advertising utilized
 9    immediately prior to adopting the resolution, announcing that
10    advertisements and notices shall be made public using the
11    alternative methods selected by the local government unit.
12        (3)   Retain a copy of the advertisement or notice for no
13    less than three years.
14    Section 2.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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