PA Representative Christopher Pielli banner image

Hi Folks,

We hope this June edition of District Deliberations finds you all doing well. It’s déjà vu all over again this June, as we continue to complete a budget in hot, hazy, and humid Harrisburg. An unknown author once stated, “In the warmth of June, let your aspirations bloom.” As such, I remain hopeful that we will secure a fair and responsible budget on time despite recent history. One thing for certain, the PA House is looking to find new revenue sources WITHOUT RAISING TAXES for working Pennsylvanians. And we have done just that by proposing taxes on billion-dollar tech companies who aren’t paying a penny for digital ads. Pennsylvanians are struggling to put food on the table while Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft continue profiting off these ads with no oversight or accountability. These are the same companies using your data making billions of dollars off the backs of all of us without paying a dime. If Big Tech Billionaires are going to use your data and bombard you with ads, then they should pay their fair share like any other advertisers. That’s not anti-business, that’s called paying your fair share like all of us working Americans. And that’s why I voted for HB1678. This was passed with bi-partisan support in the House and is estimated to raise approximately $500 million dollars that would be used to help cut our seniors property taxes and modernize our outdated Gross Receipts Tax. What’s the holdup?

Well, like I said, it’s déjà vu all over again as the Republican controlled Senate sits on this important bill. They have a simple choice - help our seniors with property tax relief or continue to help billionaires with tax breaks. The same can be said about skill games as the clock is ticking since the recent PA Supreme Court decision declaring that these are equivalent to slot machines and must be regulated or will be outlawed throughout the Commonwealth. The Senate continues to twist themselves in knots to the point of immobilization with a divided caucus on whether to regulate and gain added revenue or do nothing and see thousands of small businesses and VFWs lose an important source of income. Speaking of déjà vu, like last budget season – we sent the Senate our approved budget on April 14th and haven’t heard anything back. Folks, saying no to everything without offering or doing anything, is not governing. It’s dysfunction.

We’ve been busy since our last edition, and this issue of District Deliberations also features the latest legislative highlights to House Bills (HB) I wrote, co-sponsored and/or voted for to benefit all Pennsylvanians:

HB 95 – Requiring Disclosure on AI Generated Advertising Content [Passed the PA House]
HB 426 – Native Pollinator Habitats at Commonwealth Facilities [Passed the House]
HB 1678 – Tax on Digital Advertising [Passed the House]
HB 2198 – Eliminating Data Center Tax Exemption [Passed the House]
HB 2496 – Empowering Municipalities to Deal with Data Centers [Passed the House]
HB 2674 – Restricting Data Centers from Obtaining Public Utility Status [Introduced June 26, 2026]
HB 2224 – Capping Excess Utility Profits to Cut Costs to PA Working Families [Passed the House]
HB 2632 – EITC Reform Legislation [Passed the House].

Also featured are this Month’s Hometown Heroes, who are all the Juneteenth volunteers, actors, and sponsors who helped make West Chester’s 3rd annual Juneteenth Play and celebration a huge success; and Chester County History Center President Conor Hepp for his fantastic leadership over the years keeping our history alive. We also have a shoutout to West Chester’s own Carl Nassib in recognition of Pride month and finally, of course, the wise whelps of wisdom from our official mascot, Penny the Pup.

Folks, as always, we thank you for the opportunity to serve you and look forward to any questions or concerns you may have. Until our next issue, Stay Well, Stay safe, and Stay Strong.

PA Representative Christopher Pielli's signature image

Chris Pielli
Pennsylvania State Representative House District 156

Hometown Heroes

This June, our Hometown Heroes are all the participants and organizations that presented the fantastic 3rd Annual West Chester Juneteenth Play and Conor Hepp, outgoing President of the Chester County History Center.

Organization Hometown Hero:

Actors, volunteers, and organizations that presented the 3rd annual West Chester Juneteenth Play on June 19, 2026.

It’s hard to put into words how moving and joyous West Chester’s 3rd annual Juneteenth reenactment play was. Black history is American history, and we must embrace all of our history, the good and the bad, to both celebrate our triumphs and recognize our failures as we look toward a brighter future united together. And that’s exactly what Juneteenth the Play: “From Appomattox to Galveston,” has done as a show that entertains, teaches, and unites all of us in gratitude and celebration. Special thanks to playwright Rev. Dr. Gunther, members of the St. Paul’s Baptist Church, Director Stephen Lyons, Mayor Lillian DeBaptiste for graciously hosting the celebratory reception, West Chester University, and all the volunteers and fabulous actors and musicians who made this year’s Juneteenth celebrations a spectacular success!

Individual Hometown Hero:

Conor Hepp – Distinguished Outgoing President of the Chester County History Center

Conor Hepp served with distinction as President of the Chester County History Center since 2020, providing steadfast leadership during a period of significant transformation and unprecedented challenges.

Under Mr. Hepp’s guidance, the Chester County History Center successfully navigated the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to fulfill its mission of preserving and sharing the rich history of Chester County. During his tenure, the Chester County History Center achieved record-breaking levels of engagement through museum and library visitation, membership growth, special events, and educational initiatives, which have strengthened its role as a vital community resource.

Mr. Hepp championed efforts to deepen community inclusion by expanding programs that celebrate the diverse cultures, histories, and experiences that contribute to the fabric of Chester County. His leadership helped bring to fruition the History Center’s flagship exhibition, Becoming Chester County, and advanced the development of exhibitions commemorating Chester County’s important contributions to the Nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary. Mr. Hepp’s dedication, professionalism, and collaborative spirit have positioned the Chester County History Center for continued success and growth, leaving a lasting legacy that will benefit generations to come. He will be sorely missed by everyone, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

MY LEGISLATION HIGHLIGHTS:

House Bill 95 – Requiring Disclosure on AI Generated Advertising Content – Passed the PA House

This month, my House Bill 95 was passed by the PA House with strong bi-partisan support. HB 95 requires the disclosure of AI-generated content for the sale of consumer goods. The premise of this bill is simple. If it's AI, it has to say it's AI.

The current law puts a responsibility on consumers with "Buyer Beware" requirements. But how can a consumer fulfill that responsibility when they don't know if what they're looking at is real or AI-generated content?

You deserve to know if what you're looking at is real or not, especially when making purchases. AI is rapidly evolving, and our regulations must keep up with it.

I'm pleased to have worked with State Representatives Tarik Khan and Robert Merski to get House Bill 95 passed by the House.

HB 95 now heads to the Senate for further consideration.

Read more about House Bill 95 HERE: https://www.pahouse.com/Pielli/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=144078

House Bill 426 – Native Pollinator Habitats at Commonwealth Facilities – Passed the PA House

Last week, my House Bill 426 - The Native Habitats at Commonwealth Facilities Act - passed the House with near-unanimous support (198-4). This bill would protect pollinating insects by encouraging any new construction of a garden, lawn, or green space at a state facility to include insecticide-free native plants.

Since the 1990s, the population of monarch butterflies in North America has declined by 90%. These pollinators and others like them are vital agents within habitats and ecosystems across the state.

Without insects and pollinators, our flowers and crops cannot survive. This threatens our vital agricultural industry, which generates more than $250 million in profit from crops that benefit from insect pollination. Furthermore, approximately one-third of food consumed is enabled by pollinators.

To ensure a healthy population, we must protect our pollinators. House Bill 426 now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Read my House Bill 426 press release HERE: https://www.pahouse.com/Pielli/InTheNews/NewsRelease/?id=144152

House Bill 2674 Introduced - Restricting Data Centers from Obtaining Public Utility Status

I’ve recently introduced House Bill 2674, which would restrict data centers from obtaining public utility status.

Since 2020, when data centers started to be constructed, Pennsylvania’s energy costs have risen by over 70%. With there being estimates up to 130 active data centers with an additional 55 data centers being proposed, planned, or under construction, this problem will only get worse without proper regulation.

To remediate this issue, data centers bringing their own energy are evolving strategies and may seek certification to be a public convenience, which would make them a public utility. If data centers become a public utility, they could preempt local municipal zoning ordinances and reduce communities’ control over land-use decisions. With recent statements by AI companies insinuating that data centers are a public utility, we must get ahead of this narrative.

For this reason, I have introduced legislation that prohibits data centers from obtaining public utilities status. By obtaining public utilities status, data center developers would preempt local zoning ordinances and be able to evoke eminent domain, operate as a regulated monopoly, and acquire development rights, rights-of-way and property for building, maintaining, or expanding infrastructure for data center projects that only benefit private, for-profit corporations. We need to place guardrails on this issue and ensure that Pennsylvanians have a voice in where these data centers are developed.

House Bill 2632 – EITC Reform Legislation

I’m proud to co-sponsor and have voted YES on House Bill 2632 – legislation that would provide much-needed reform to the current Educational Improvement Tax Credit and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit programs.

House Bill 2632 would put in place many recommendations by the nonpartisan Independent Fiscal Office for additional accountability and transparency provisions to ensure that the $680 million available to these programs are going to help children and their families cover the cost of their education – especially those who need them the most.

In brief, House Bill 2632 would:

· Ensure that Pennsylvania taxpayers know where their tax dollars are going.

· Ensure funds are used fairly, efficiently, and effectively.

· NOT reduce the total $680 Million already allocated to the programs.

· NOT take away scholarship money from students who already have it.

Please Read: My Open Letter to Constituents (Image Below) – Explaining my Support of HB 2632

House Bill 1678 – Tax on Digital Advertising

Earlier this month, I proudly voted YES to pass the Digital Advertising Tax - House Bill 1678 - in the PA House. This bill would modernize PA's 5% gross receipts tax to collect revenue derived from digital advertising platforms that sell ad space on websites and apps in PA.

Big Tech makes billions using our data but contributes $0 of it to our communities. The digital advertising industry could not exist without harvesting our private data—geolocation, searches, clicks, personal networks—yet Pennsylvanians don’t receive a dime in return. 5% is a small price to pay in exchange for the profit we make possible. This tax would specifically target Big Tech corporations like Google, Meta, and Amazon.

Pennsylvania's tax system is in desperate need of reform. Estimates show that this tax expansion could raise between $329-$624 million in 2027 alone. This additional revenue would greatly increase funding for our seniors in the form of long overdue property tax relief. HB 1678 now heads to the Senate, which has a simple decision to make. Help our seniors with this tax relief or give billionaires another tax break.

Read the legislation HERE: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1678

House Bill 2496 - Empowering Municipalities to Deal with Data Centers

I'm proud to co-prime sponsor House Bill 2496 - Rep. Paul Friel's legislation that would empower Pennsylvania municipalities to pause data center projects, which passed the PA House this month.

Under HB 2496, municipalities could enact up to a 180-day pause on data center development by adopting a resolution. During a pause, municipalities could adopt, amend or repeal parts of their zoning ordinances relating to data centers.

Currently, the law leaves it to our local municipalities to approve or disapprove data center plans. Too often, these local officials are being blindsided by multi-billion-dollar tech conglomerates, and they are playing catch-up with zero breathing room.

We cannot allow the rapid expansion of data centers to outpace the safety and logic of our local zoning. House Bill 2496 helps our local government by giving our leaders the time, autonomy, and power to make decisions that serve the best interests of their residents.

Read the press release HERE: Pa. House passes Friel bill to create ‘pause button’ on data center rush

House Bill 2198 Eliminating Data Center Tax Exemption

This month, I voted YES to pass my co-sponsored House Bill 2198 in the PA House - Ending Sales Tax Exemption for Data Centers. Before I was a legislator in 2021, a tax exemption for equipment purchased by data centers was enacted to incentivize data center developers to build in Pennsylvania.

Currently, there are numerous data centers in PA, and many more are in development. Since the 2023-24 fiscal year, the state has lost over $80 million in revenue due to this exemption, and if it remains, up to $500 million could be lost by 2030.

Additionally, data centers consume a tremendous amount of electricity, causing consumer electricity prices to rise. These big, billion-dollar corporations do not need a tax exemption. They need to pay their fair share of taxes like every other Pennsylvanian.

House Bill 2224 – Capping Excess Utility Profits

Last week, House Bill 2224 - Limiting Excess Utility Profits - passed in the PA House. I voted YES because this bill will result in a $1.7 billion tax cut on electricity. This reform helps restore fairness and accountability. Under the current law, investor-owned utility companies are permitted to earn returns far above their actual financing costs, even as families and small businesses struggle with rapidly rising bills.

HB 2224 would establish a transparent, evidence-based standard that aligns utility profits with actual economic risk. By restoring balance to our ratemaking process, we can prevent unjustified rate hikes, strengthen affordability, and ensure that ratepayer dollars serve the public interest—not the pockets of big corporations.

Read more about House Bill 2224 HERE:

https://penncapital-star.com/economy/pa-house-passes-1-7b-tax-cut-on-electricity-reins-in-utility-company-profits/

June is Pride Month! - Celebrating Carl Nassib, Former NFL Player and West Chester Native

One of our Pride Month spotlights is former NFL football player Carl Nassib. Carl is from West Chester, and he attended Malvern Preparatory School where he was a three-year letterman in football.

In college, Nassib was a walk-on for the Penn State Nittany Lions. His impressive college career earned him All-American and Big Ten Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year for 2015. He played in the NFL from 2016 to 2022 on the Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the Las Vegas Raiders.

On June 21, 2021, Nassib came out as gay, becoming the first active NFL player to come out publicly. In that same statement, he pledged to donate $100,000 to the Trevor Project, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ youth. Nassib continues to champion the Trevor Project’s mission today.

Carl, we honor your courage in coming out and continued advocacy on behalf of kids!

Q: How do I know if I have Unclaimed Property (UP) currently held in the PA Treasury?

And how can I get that money?

A: Good question! - Unclaimed Property could be any monetary asset—from insurance checks to security deposits to stocks or dividends—that the PA Department of Treasury has been holding for you, or for a deceased spouse or relative.

We have helped many constituents in our district obtain unclaimed property, and some are entitled to more than $10,000 from any single or aggregate claim.

Please call our District Office at (610) 696-4990 to find out if you have Unclaimed Property and learn how to claim it. My staff can search the PA Treasury website and assist with filing claims to the Treasury Department on your behalf.

Also - Under the new PA Money Match program, unclaimed property worth up to $500 is returned to an individual owner automatically.

Or - You can find out yourself by visiting: https://unclaimedproperty.patreasury.gov/en/Property/SearchIndex