HB2220 would add a new chapter to Title 12 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes regulating audio levels in advertisements on video streaming services. The bill prohibits a streaming service from transmitting the audio of an advertisement at a decibel level higher than the video programming that accompanies it, and it extends that requirement to embedded advertisements inserted by third parties. The measure is modeled on federal loud-commercial standards and is aimed at preventing ads on streaming platforms from being noticeably louder than the content viewers are watching.
The bill also creates a consumer complaint process through the Bureau of Consumer Protection in the Office of Attorney General. If a violation is found, the Attorney General could seek civil penalties of up to $5,000 per violation, along with injunctive relief, restitution, costs, and other remedies under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. The bill states that the civil penalty is the exclusive penalty for violations of the new section and does not create a private right of action for consumers.
HB2220 defines “video streaming service” broadly as an online platform whose primary purpose is delivering video programming directly to consumers over the internet, while excluding broadcast stations, cable operators, multichannel video distributors, services that do not transmit advertisements, and websites or apps that are not primarily video services. It also excludes certain information services and access providers, including internet access services and systems operated by libraries or educational institutions. The bill would take effect one year after enactment.
The committee record suggests the bill moved smoothly in the House Communications & Technology Committee, where an amendment and the bill-as-amended report both passed 25-0. That unanimous vote indicates broad support at the committee level for addressing loud streaming advertisements and consumer annoyance. There is no transcript showing substantive debate, but the structure of the bill suggests the main policy focus is consumer protection and ad-volume consistency rather than broader regulation of streaming platforms.
The most likely points of contention are the scope of the new requirements and the enforcement burden on streaming services, especially around embedded ads inserted by third parties. The bill attempts to address those concerns by allowing services to show they took reasonable measures to prevent violations and by limiting enforcement to Attorney General action rather than private lawsuits. Even so, questions may arise about how decibel compliance would be measured in practice and whether the rules could affect digital advertising operations or platform liability.
Impact
HB2220 would create a new statutory chapter in Title 12 governing commercial audio levels on video streaming services and would authorize enforcement by the Attorney General under the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law. It would impose compliance obligations on streaming platforms, establish a complaint and investigation process, and expose violators to civil penalties and equitable relief, while expressly precluding private lawsuits. The bill would not apply to traditional broadcasters, cable operators, or non-video-primary websites and apps, and it would take effect one year after enactment.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support in committee, with both the amendment and the amended bill passing 25-0 in the House Communications & Technology Committee. That unanimous result suggests the bill was viewed favorably as a consumer-protection measure addressing a common annoyance with streaming ads. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded floor-level debate, but the procedural history indicates little visible opposition at the committee stage.
Contention
The main areas of potential contention are implementation and compliance rather than the underlying policy goal. Streaming services may object to the operational difficulty of ensuring ad volume parity, especially for embedded advertisements supplied by third parties, and may be concerned about enforcement standards and liability exposure. The bill responds to those concerns by limiting penalties to Attorney General enforcement, allowing proof of reasonable preventive measures, and excluding services that do not primarily provide video programming or do not transmit ads. Another possible point of debate is whether the state should regulate a digital advertising issue that already has a federal analogue.
A bill for an act relating to the audio volume of commercial advertisements provided by a video streaming service, and providing penalties.(Formerly SSB 3012.)
A bill for an act relating to the audio volume of commercial advertisements provided by a video streaming service, and providing penalties.(See SF 2294.)
Prohibiting video streaming services from transmitting commercial advertisements with the audio louder than that of the main video streaming content in which such advertisement is placed.