Pennsylvania House Bill HB1722

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 7/14/25
• Refer: 7/14/25

Caption

Further providing for compensation of Governor and Lieutenant Governor, State Treasurer, Auditor General, Attorney General, commissioners of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and heads of departments.

Summary

HB1722 amends Pennsylvania’s Public Official Compensation Law to revise the annual salaries for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and several executive branch department heads. The bill sets specific salary amounts for each listed office, including the Governor at $125,000, the Lieutenant Governor at $105,000, and various cabinet secretaries and commissioners at amounts ranging from $90,000 to $100,000. It also updates terminology in the statute, replacing the former reference to the Secretary of Public Welfare with Secretary of Human Services. The bill further changes the compensation structure for the State Police Commissioner by removing the commissioner from the general salary list and instead providing that the commissioner’s salary will be commensurate with the Secretary of Corrections. The measure takes effect 60 days after enactment and would directly amend the statute governing compensation for top statewide executive officials and department heads.

Impact

HB1722 would directly amend the Public Official Compensation Law, changing statutory salary levels for the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, cabinet-level officials, and the State Police Commissioner. It would affect the compensation of executive branch officers in Pennsylvania and update the law’s terminology to reflect current department names. If enacted, state payroll and budgeting practices would need to conform to the new salary schedule and the commissioner’s salary linkage to the Secretary of Corrections.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests the bill moved without recorded opposition in committee, as the House Judiciary Committee reported it as committed by a 26-0 vote. No committee transcript is available, so there is no detailed record of debate or concerns. Based on the unanimous committee vote, the general sentiment appears favorable or at least noncontroversial at the committee stage.

Contention

The main substantive issue in the bill is compensation policy for high-ranking executive officials, including whether the listed salaries are appropriate and how the State Police Commissioner should be paid relative to other department heads. The bill also makes a technical but notable title change from Public Welfare to Human Services, reflecting current agency nomenclature. No specific objections are documented in the provided materials, and the unanimous committee vote indicates no recorded contention at that stage.