Providing for veterans' benefits and services workplace posting; and making an editorial change.
Summary
HB 799 amends Title 51 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes to require the Department of Labor and Industry to create a standardized workplace posting about veterans’ benefits and services. The posting must be made available on the department’s website for employers to print, and it must include contact information for the department, information on federal and state benefits and services for veterans and their families, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Crisis Line, and county directors of veterans affairs.
The bill applies to employers with a worksite in Pennsylvania that employ more than 50 full-time employees, defined as workers employed at least 40 hours per week. Employers must display the posting in a conspicuous area accessible to employees, though they may satisfy the requirement by placing it on an employee-accessible employer website. The bill also directs the department to publish notice of the posting content in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and exempts the posting from several administrative review processes, including review under the Commonwealth Documents Law, the Commonwealth Attorneys Act, and the Regulatory Review Act. The act takes effect in stages, with most provisions effective in 90 days and the website-display option effective in 180 days.
The bill’s impact is primarily regulatory and informational rather than financial or punitive. It creates a new chapter in Title 51 focused on veterans’ benefits and services workplace posting and adds a new compliance obligation for covered employers. It also expands the visibility of veterans’ resources in workplaces and gives the Department of Labor and Industry a new administrative role in preparing and distributing the standardized notice.
Overall sentiment appears broadly favorable. The bill advanced through both chambers with strong committee support and large bipartisan floor majorities, indicating general agreement with the goal of improving awareness of veterans’ services. The final votes were not unanimous, however, suggesting some limited reservations about the mandate or the scope of employer obligations.
The main point of contention is likely the employer posting requirement itself, especially for businesses with more than 50 full-time employees and the requirement to display or post the notice in a way accessible to workers. The Senate amendment history and the non-unanimous floor votes suggest there may also have been discussion about the details of implementation, including the website alternative and the exemption from standard regulatory review.
Impact
HB 799 adds a new Chapter 74 to Title 51, creating a statewide workplace-posting requirement for veterans’ benefits and services. Covered employers must display a standardized notice prepared by the Department of Labor and Industry, and the department must make that notice publicly available. The bill also makes an editorial change to Title 51’s part heading and establishes a new administrative process for publication and implementation, while exempting the posting from certain rulemaking and review procedures.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have received generally positive treatment in both the House and Senate, with unanimous or near-unanimous committee votes and strong bipartisan support on final passage and concurrence. The broad margins suggest lawmakers largely agreed with the policy goal of increasing awareness of veterans’ resources. The presence of some dissenting floor votes indicates there was not complete consensus, but the overall tone of the legislative history is supportive rather than controversial.
Contention
The likely areas of disagreement were the mandate imposed on employers and the administrative details of how the posting would be created and distributed. Some legislators may have objected to requiring businesses with more than 50 full-time employees to post a state-created notice, or to the bill’s exemption of the posting from ordinary regulatory review. The Senate amendment and the non-unanimous floor votes suggest the final language may have reflected negotiation over implementation rather than over the underlying goal of supporting veterans.
In professional and occupational licenses, further providing for definitions and providing for policy for the award of academic credit for military training; and making editorial changes.