An Act amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, further providing for powers and duties of the Commission; and providing for employer policies and procedures.

PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 2249, 2409 PRINTER'S NO. 2639
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1825
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY MADDEN, WAXMAN, WEBSTER, KINKEAD, SANCHEZ,
SCHLOSSBERG, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, ABNEY, VENKAT, MAYES, GIRAL,
HOWARD, BOROWSKI, HILL-EVANS, HANBIDGE, RIVERA, TAKAC,
PROBST, INGLIS, DALEY, GUENST, GREEN, SCOTT, K.HARRIS, MADSEN
AND KHAN, AUGUST 27, 2025
AS AMENDED ON SECOND CONSIDERATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
NOVEMBER 19, 2025
AN ACT
Amending the act of October 27, 1955 (P.L.744, No.222), entitled
"An act prohibiting certain practices of discrimination
because of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, age or
national origin by employers, employment agencies, labor
organizations and others as herein defined; creating the
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission in the Governor's
Office; defining its functions, powers and duties; providing
for procedure and enforcement; providing for formulation of
an educational program to prevent prejudice; providing for
judicial review and enforcement and imposing penalties,"
further providing for powers and duties of the Commission;
AND providing for employer policies and procedures; and
establishing the Human Relations Training Fund.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Section 7(f) of the act of October 27, 1955
(P.L.744, No.222), known as the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Act, is amended to read:
Section 7. Powers and Duties of the Commission.--The
Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
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(f) To initiate, receive, investigate and pass upon
complaints charging unlawful discriminatory practices and
violations of section 7.1.
* * *
Section 2. The act is amended by adding a section to read:
Section 7.1. E mployer Policies and Procedures.--(a) An
employer shall adopt written policies and procedures for
preventing harassment, discrimination and retaliation against
employes. The policies and procedures shall include, at a
minimum, all of the following:
(1) An explanation that harassment, discrimination and
retaliation are unlawful acts under Federal and State law.
(2) An explanation that sexual harassment is a form of
unlawful discrimination under Federal and State law.
(3) A complaint procedure to report and address harassment,
discrimination and retaliation claims, including a provision
allowing employes to report the claims to persons other than
their supervisor.
(4) The specific responsibilities of a supervisor in the
identification, prevention and reporting of harassment,
discrimination and retaliation.
(5) An explanation of the procedures for maintaining
confidentiality surrounding the reporting of harassment,
discrimination and retaliation claims.
(6) A procedure for the investigation of claims of
harassment, discrimination and retaliation filed by an employe.
(7) A PROHIBITION ON MAKING FALSE AND FRIVOLOUS REPORTS OF
HARASSMENT, DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION, INCLUDING ANY
DISCIPLINARY CONSEQUENCES FOR AN EMPLOYE WHO KNOWINGLY MAKES A
FALSE OR FRIVOLOUS REPORT.
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(b) An employer shall make the policies and procedures under
this section available and easily accessible to all employes,
and may post COMPLY WITH THIS REQUIREMENT BY POSTING the
policies and procedures on the employer's Internet website that
is accessible to employes.
(c) An employer shall keep records of the current policies
and procedures under this section and make them available for
inspection by the Commission upon request. If applicable, the
employer shall keep a record of the immediately preceding
policies and procedures for a period of three years after the
effective date of the current policies and procedures and make
them available for inspection by the Commission upon request.
(d) The Commission shall develop standard policies and
procedures that may be used by an employer to satisfy the
requirements under clause (a), and shall post the policies and
procedures on the Commission's publicly accessible Internet
website at no cost to the public. Nothing in this clause shall
be construed to require an employer to adopt the standard
policies and procedures developed by the Commission, provided
that the employer maintains policies and procedures that are
consistent with the requirements of clause (a).
(e) Within forty-five days of any changes to Federal or
State harassment, discrimination or retaliation laws that would
impact the standard policies and procedures under clause (d),
the Commission shall publish the changes on the Commission's
publicly accessible Internet website and transmit notice of the
changes to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in
the next available issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin. The
Commission shall alert employers of changes to the standard
policies and procedures and shall establish and utilize an
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electronic notification system to issue the alerts. An employer
shall adopt the required change to the standard policies and
procedures not later than forty-five days after receipt of
notification of the change from the Commission.
(f) A person claiming a violation of this section may file a
complaint with the Commission. The complaint must state the name
and address of the employer alleged to have violated this
section. If, after investigation by the Commission, the
Commission determines the employer violated this section, the
Commission shall endeavor to cause compliance with this section
and may issue a citation and impose a fine as provided in clause
(g).
(g) The Commission may issue citations and impose fines on
an employer for a violation of this section as follows:
(1) A fine of not less than five hundred dollars ($500) and
not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the first
violation.
(2) A fine of not less than one thousand dollars ($1,000)
and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000) for the second
or each subsequent violation.
(3) Unless an employer has demonstrated willful disregard
for the requirements of this section, the Commission shall waive
the fine for a first-time violation of this section if the
employer proves to the satisfaction of the Commission, not later
than sixty days after issuance of the citation, that the
violation has been cured. The Commission may CURED.
(4) UNLESS AN EMPLOYER HAS DEMONSTRATED WILLFUL DISREGARD
FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSION SHALL waive
the fine for a second-time violation of this section if the
violation is a result of the employer failing to update policies
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and procedures in accordance with clause (e), provided the
employer proves to the satisfaction of the Commission, not later
than sixty days after issuance of the citation, that the
violation has been cured.
(h) The Human Relations Training Fund is established as a
fund in the State Treasury. The following provisions apply to
the fund:
(1) A fine imposed and collected by the Commission under
clause (g) or a civil penalty assessed under section 9(f)(2)
shall be deposited into the Human Relations Training Fund.
(2) The money in the Human Relations Training Fund is
appropriated on a continuing basis to the Commission to be used
for training, education and outreach.
(H) A FINE IMPOSED AND COLLECTED BY THE COMMISSION UNDER
CLAUSE (G) OR A CIVIL PENALTY ASSESSED UNDER SECTION 9(F)(2)
SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
Section 3. This act shall take effect in 120 days.
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