In training and certification of inspectors, further providing for education and training programs and providing for the Residential Construction Workforce Training Grant Program; and establishing the Residential Construction Workforce Training Account.
HB2428 amends the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act to create a new funding stream and grant program focused on residential construction workforce development. It allows municipalities that administer and enforce the code to adopt an ordinance imposing an optional fee of up to $10 on each residential construction or building permit. Those fees would be transmitted to the State Treasury and deposited into a newly created Residential Construction Workforce Training Account.
The bill establishes the Residential Construction Workforce Training Grant Program within the Department of Labor and Industry. Grants would be awarded, to the extent money is available, to nonprofits, educational institutions, career and technical education providers, apprenticeship and preapprenticeship programs, workforce development organizations, and local governments. Eligible uses include construction workforce training, apprenticeships, tools, equipment, instructional materials, transportation assistance, and stipends. The bill also directs that grant awards be aimed at increasing residential unit construction in the county where the fee was collected, with priority given to the county or municipality that imposed the fee.
The bill would amend Section 703 of the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act by adding a new optional municipal permit fee, creating a fourth restricted account in the State Treasury, and authorizing continuing appropriations from that account to fund residential construction workforce grants. It also adds reporting requirements for the Department of Labor and Industry, including annual accounting of fee revenue, grant awards, geographic distribution, workforce outcomes, and administrative spending. The measure would affect municipalities that choose to adopt the fee, the department that administers the program, and organizations eligible to receive grant funding.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the bill appears to be framed as a workforce and housing-supply initiative rather than a controversial regulatory change. Its stated purpose is to address skilled labor shortages affecting residential construction and to support the building of more housing units. No formal vote history or transcripted discussion is provided, so there is no documented opposition or support to assess beyond the bill’s pro-training, pro-housing intent.
The main potential point of contention is the optional fee on residential construction and building permits, which could be viewed by builders, developers, or permit applicants as an added cost even though it is capped at $10 and adopted locally by ordinance. Another possible issue is the bill’s requirement that grant awards be directed to the county where the fee originated and prioritized locally, which may raise questions about equitable distribution of funds versus local benefit. The reporting and administrative requirements may also be scrutinized by those concerned about program oversight and state administrative burden.