HB 2074

                                                     PRINTER'S NO.    2657
                 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 2074
                                               Session of
                                                 2025
INTRODUCED BY BRENNAN, PIELLI, WAXMAN, SANCHEZ, PROBST AND
   CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, DECEMBER 1, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, DECEMBER 3, 2025
                                    AN ACT
1 Amending Title 25 (Elections) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2    Statutes, in voter registration, further providing for
3    residence of electors; and, in uniform military and overseas
4    voters, further providing for definitions.
5    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
6 hereby enacts as follows:
7    Section 1.  Section 1302(a)(1) and (b) of Title 25 of the
8 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:
9 § 1302.    Residence of electors.
10    (a)    General rule.--
11(1)   For the purpose of registration and voting, no
12    individual shall be deemed to have gained a residence by
13    reason of presence or lost a residence by reason of absence
14    in any of the following circumstances:
15(i)    Being employed in the service, either civil or
16military, of this Commonwealth or of the United States.
17(ii)    Being engaged in the navigation of the waters
18of this Commonwealth or of the United States or on the
19high seas.
1(iii)    Being in an institution at public expense.
2This subparagraph does not apply to a veteran who resides
3in a home for disabled and indigent soldiers and sailors
4maintained by the Commonwealth. Such a veteran may elect
5to utilize that residence for registration and voting or
6elect to vote as an absentee elector by the use of an
7absentee ballot.
8(iv)    Being born outside of the United States and
9meeting the definition of "overseas voter" under section
103502 (relating to definitions).
11* * *
12  (b)   Rules for determination.--The following apply:
13(1)   That the place shall be considered the residence of
14  an individual in which habitation is fixed and to which,
15  whenever the individual is absent, the individual has the
16  intention of returning.
17(2)   An individual shall not be considered to have lost
18  residence if the individual leaves home and goes into another
19  state or another election district for temporary purposes
20  only, with the intention of returning.
21(3)   An individual shall not be considered to have gained
22  a residence in an election district if the individual comes
23  into that district for temporary purposes only, without the
24  intention of making that election district a permanent place
25  of abode.
26(4)   If an individual removes to another state with the
27  intention of making that state the permanent residence, the
28  individual shall be considered to have lost residence in this
29  Commonwealth.
30(5)   If an individual removes to another state with the
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1  intention of remaining there an indefinite time and making
2  that state the place of residence, the individual shall be
3  considered to have lost residence in this Commonwealth,
4  notwithstanding an intention to return at some indefinite
5  future period.
6      (6)   If an individual goes into another state and, while
7  there, votes in an election held by that state, the
8  individual shall be considered to have lost residence in this
9  Commonwealth.
10      (7)   An individual employed in the service of the Federal
11  Government or of the Commonwealth and required thereby to be
12  absent from the municipality where the individual resided
13  when entering that employment and the spouse of the
14  individual may remain registered in the district where the
15  individual resided immediately prior to entering that
16  employment, and the individual and the spouse shall be
17  enrolled in the political party designated by the individual
18  or spouse without declaring a residence by street and number.
19(i)    An individual who registers under this paragraph
20      for Commonwealth employment must produce a certificate
21      from the head of the State agency, under the seal of
22      office, setting forth that the individual or the
23      individual's spouse is actually employed in the service
24      of the Commonwealth and setting forth the nature of the
25      employment and the time when the employee first entered
26      the employment. The commission shall retain certificates
27      under this subparagraph.
28(ii)   The commission shall note on the registration
29      record of each individual registered under this paragraph
30      the fact of Federal or State employment.
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1(iii)   At least once every two years the commission
2shall verify the employment of the individuals registered
3under this paragraph at the proper Federal or State
4office. If an individual is found to be no longer a
5Federal or State employee, the individual's registration
6shall be canceled under Chapter 15 (relating to changes
7in records).
8(8)   If an individual was born outside of the United
9    States and meets the definition of "overseas voter" under
10    section 3502, the place where the individual's parent or
11    guardian last domiciled immediately before leaving the United
12    States shall be considered the election district of the
13    individual.
14    Section 2.      The definition of "overseas voter" in section
15 3502 of Title 25 is amended to read:
16 § 3502.    Definitions.
17    The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
18 shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19 context clearly indicates otherwise:
20    * * *
21    "Overseas voter."       A qualified elector who is outside the
22 United States. The term includes a citizen of the United States
23 residing abroad who:
24(1)   was born outside of the United States;
25(2)   is not registered to vote in another state;
26(3)   has not previously voted in another state;
27(4)   except for the residency requirement under section
28    1301 (relating to qualifications to register), otherwise
29    satisfies the voter eligibility requirements of this
30    Commonwealth; and
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1(5)   has a parent or legal guardian who last domiciled in
2   this Commonwealth immediately before leaving the United
3   States.
4   * * *
5   Section 3.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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