Pennsylvania House Bill HB984

Pennsylvania 2025-2026 Regular Session

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

Caption

An Act amending Title 65 (Public Officers) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in ethics standards and financial disclosure, further providing for statement of financial interests required to b . . .e filed.

Summary

HB 984 amends Pennsylvania’s ethics and financial disclosure law to create a specific filing rule for write-in candidates. Under the bill, a write-in candidate who is nominated or elected must file a statement of financial interests within 30 days, unless the person declines the nomination or office within that period. The filing deadline begins when the appropriate board of elections certifies the person as the winner of a nomination or election. The bill also ties compliance to ballot access: if a write-in candidate is nominated and does not file the required statement of financial interests, the candidate may not appear on the ballot. The filing must be made with the State Ethics Commission for state-level offices and with the relevant local governing authority for county or municipal offices. The act would take effect 60 days after enactment.

Impact

HB 984 would amend Title 65 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes by adding a new subsection to the financial disclosure requirements for public office candidates. It would impose a clear statutory deadline and enforcement mechanism for write-in candidates, expanding the existing ethics disclosure framework to expressly cover candidates who emerge through write-in nominations or elections. The bill affects write-in candidates for state, county, and local offices, as well as the State Ethics Commission, county and local governing authorities, and election officials responsible for certification and ballot access.

Sentiment

Based on the materials provided, the bill appears to be a straightforward ethics-and-election-administration measure with no recorded committee debate or votes in the available record. The sponsor list suggests some bipartisan interest, and the proposal is framed in administrative terms rather than as a controversial policy change. Because there are no transcripts or vote tallies, there is no documented opposition or support beyond the bill’s introduction and referral.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the ballot-access consequence for write-in candidates who fail to file the required financial disclosure on time. Supporters would likely view this as a transparency and compliance measure that treats write-in candidates more consistently with other office seekers, while critics could argue that the rule is burdensome for candidates who may have little time to respond after certification. Another possible issue is the administrative complexity of applying different filing authorities for state versus local offices and determining the exact start of the 30-day filing window.