Pennsylvania House Bill HB981

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/20/25
• Refer: 3/20/25

Caption

An Act amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in preliminary provisions relating to voter registration, further providing for standardized forms and for applications; . . . and, in voter registration, further providing for preparation and distribution of applications and providing for government service facilitation.

Summary

HB981 amends Pennsylvania’s election laws governing voter registration forms and application processing. It updates Title 25 to require that standardized voter registration and absentee ballot forms include a notice about “government service facilitation,” and it expressly allows electronic voter registration applications that include a digitized or electronic signature. The bill also removes obsolete language referencing older voter registration application printing provisions. The core of the bill is a new section requiring voter registration commissions and the Department of State to share applicant information with other government entities. Within 30 days of receiving a voter registration application, the commission must provide the applicant’s name, residence address, and mailing address to the Department of State and to each political subdivision containing the applicant’s residence. The Department of State must then provide the same information to the Department of Revenue, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Transportation. Recipient agencies are directed to use that information to determine residency-related eligibility and to send applicants information about rights and responsibilities tied to residence.

Impact

The bill would amend Title 25 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding mandatory information-sharing requirements to the voter registration process and by requiring a notice on voter registration applications about that sharing. It would affect the Department of State, county commissions or other voter registration-processing bodies, the Department of Revenue, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Transportation, and relevant political subdivisions. It also authorizes electronic voter registration applications with electronic signatures and takes effect 60 days after enactment.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote information is provided, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from legislative debate. Based on the text, the bill appears to be framed as an administrative and access-oriented measure, emphasizing coordination among agencies and notice to applicants rather than changing voter eligibility standards. The inclusion of electronic applications suggests a modernization theme, while the information-sharing provisions suggest a stronger government coordination approach.

Contention

The most likely point of contention is the bill’s requirement that voter registration information be shared with multiple state agencies and political subdivisions, including the Departments of Revenue, Human Services, and Transportation. Supporters may view this as improving service delivery and ensuring residents receive information about rights and responsibilities tied to residency, while critics may raise privacy, data-sharing, or voter-registration chilling concerns. Another possible issue is the broad “notwithstanding any prohibition found in any other law, regulation or rule” language, which could be seen as overriding existing confidentiality or procedural limits.