Pennsylvania House Bill HB1058

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/26/25
• Refer: 3/26/25
• Refer: 5/14/25
• Report Pass: 6/2/25
• Engrossed: 6/2/25
• Refer: 6/3/25
• Refer: 6/26/25
• Report Pass: 6/26/25
• Refer: 6/30/25
• Report Pass: 7/1/25
• Enrolled: 7/17/25
• Chaptered: 7/21/25
• Passed: 7/21/25

Caption

In State Lottery, further providing for statement of purpose and for powers and duties of secretary.

Summary

HB1058 amends Pennsylvania’s State Lottery Law to update the stated purpose of the lottery and revise how lottery revenues are allocated. The bill keeps the core purpose of the lottery focused on funding benefits for older Pennsylvanians, including property tax relief and free or reduced-fare transit services, while also adding language that the lottery should be managed to maximize profits and help sustain or increase funding for senior programs each fiscal year. It also adds a new reference to mitigating the use of other funds under section 311(a). The bill changes the secretary’s duties by revising the revenue-apportionment provision for lottery proceeds dedicated to senior benefits. Under the amended language, the minimum share of total lottery revenues dedicated to property tax relief and transit services for seniors is reduced to 10% for fiscal years beginning after June 30, 2025, replacing the prior scheduled 25% minimum that had been set to apply after that date. The bill therefore affects the State Lottery Fund’s internal distribution rules and the statutory funding floor for programs serving older adults, while leaving the lottery’s broader structure intact.

Impact

HB1058 directly amends sections 301 and 303(a)(11)(iv) of the State Lottery Law. Its practical effect is to lower the statutory minimum percentage of lottery revenues that must be dedicated to property tax relief and senior transit benefits, while also directing the lottery to be operated in a way that sustains or increases funding for senior programs and reduces reliance on other funds under section 311(a). The bill primarily affects the Department of Revenue/lottery administration, senior citizens who receive property tax relief or transit subsidies, and the state budget framework for senior services.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support overall, passing the House and Senate with large margins and only limited opposition. The House final passage vote was 188-15, the Senate final passage vote was 49-1, and the House concurrence vote was 201-1, suggesting strong agreement on the need to adjust lottery funding rules. The near-unanimous committee votes also indicate that the measure was generally viewed favorably as a technical or fiscal adjustment rather than a controversial policy shift.

Contention

The main point of contention is the reduction in the guaranteed minimum share of lottery revenues dedicated to senior property tax relief and transit services, from the previously scheduled 25% to 10% after June 30, 2025. Supporters likely viewed the change as a way to give the lottery more flexibility and to better align funding with current fiscal needs, while opponents may have been concerned that it weakens a long-standing funding commitment to older adults. The small number of no votes in the House and Senate suggests that any disagreement centered on the size and direction of the revenue allocation change rather than the overall purpose of the lottery.