HB 2725

                                                  PRINTER'S NO.    3807
                THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
                    HOUSE BILL
                    No. 2725
                                           Session of
                                             2026
INTRODUCED BY ROAE, GLEIM, HAMM, BANTA, MENTZER, PUGH, KUZMA AND
   COOPER, AUGUST 3, 2026
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, AUGUST 4, 2026
                                AN ACT
1 Amending the act of September 30, 1983 (P.L.160, No.39),
2    entitled "An act establishing salaries and compensation of
3    certain public officials including justices and judges of
4    Statewide courts, judges of courts of common pleas, judges of
5    the Philadelphia Municipal Court, judges of the Philadelphia
6    Traffic Court, district justices and the Governor, the
7    Lieutenant Governor, the State Treasurer, the Auditor
8    General, the Attorney General and certain other State
9    officers and the salary and certain expenses of the members
10    of the General Assembly; and repealing certain inconsistent
11    acts," further providing for members of the General Assembly.
12    The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
13 hereby enacts as follows:
14    Section 1.     Section 4(d) and (d.1) of the act of September
15 30, 1983 (P.L.160, No.39), known as the Public Official
16 Compensation Law, are amended to read:
17 Section 4.     Members of the General Assembly.
18    * * *
19    (d)   Subsequent annual cost-of-living adjustment for
20 members.--
21(1)   Except as provided under [paragraph (2)] paragraphs
22    (2) and (3), for the 12-month period beginning December 1,
1  1997, through November 30, 1998, and for each like 12-month
2  period thereafter, the salary of the members of the General
3  Assembly shall be increased by an annual cost-of-living
4  adjustment calculated by applying the percentage change in
5  the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for
6  the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area, for
7  the most recent 12-month period for which figures have been
8  officially reported by the United States Department of Labor,
9  Bureau of Labor Statistics immediately prior to the date the
10  adjustment is due to take effect, to the then current salary
11  amounts. The percentage increase and the new salary amounts
12  shall be determined jointly by the Chief Clerk of the Senate
13  and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives prior to
14  the annual effective date of the adjustment and shall be
15  published by them in the Pennsylvania Bulletin within ten
16  days of the date such determination is made.
17      (2)   The salary of the members of the General Assembly
18  may not be increased by an annual cost-of-living adjustment
19  under paragraph (1) for the period beginning December 1,
20  2020, through November 30, 2021. Notice of the provisions of
21  this subsection shall be transmitted to the Legislative
22  Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin
23  prior to December 1, 2020.
24      (3)   A member of the General Assembly may opt out of the
25  automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment under paragraph
26  (1) in accordance with this paragraph. The following apply:
27(i)   The decision to opt out of the automatic annual
28      cost-of-living adjustment:
29(A)   Must be made:
30(I)   during November of the year in which the
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1member is elected at a general election; or
2(II)   within 30 days after certification of
3the results of the special election at which the
4member is elected.
5(B)   Shall be effective during the entire term to
6which the member is elected.
7(C)   May not be rescinded during the term to
8which the member is elected.
9(ii)    If a member of the General Assembly opts out of
10      the automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment, the
11      member shall still receive, during the entire term for
12      which the decision to opt out is made, the annual salary
13      established for members of the General Assembly that was
14      in effect at the time of the member's latest election to
15      the General Assembly.
16(iii)    The Chief Clerk of the Senate and the Chief
17      Clerk of the House of Representatives shall jointly
18      develop a form for members of the General Assembly to
19      opt out of the annual cost-of-living adjustment. The form
20      shall be substantially in the following form:
21AUTOMATIC COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT OPT OUT
22FOR MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
23      I, ........................, choose to opt out of the
24  automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment for members of the
25  General Assembly, as provided under section 4 of the Public
26  Official Compensation Law, during the entire term for which I
27  was elected as a member of the General Assembly. Instead, I
28  choose to have my annual salary as a member of the General
29  Assembly remain, throughout the entire term for which I was
30  elected, the same as it was on the day that I was last
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1    elected, without any automatic cost-of-living adjustment.
2    ........................  ....................
3    (Signature)  (Date)
4(iv)    To opt out of the automatic annual cost-of-
5living adjustment, a member of the General Assembly must
6complete the form described in subparagraph (iii) and
7return it to the Chief Clerk of the Senate or the Chief
8Clerk of the House of Representatives, as applicable,
9within the applicable period specified in subparagraph
10(i)(A), so that the member's annual salary may be
11processed without the automatic annual cost-of-living
12adjustment.
13(v)    If a member of the General Assembly does not
14complete the form described in subparagraph (iii) in
15accordance with subparagraph (iv), the member shall
16receive the automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment.
17(vi)    For purposes of this paragraph, the term
18"member of the General Assembly" or "member" means an
19individual elected to the Senate or the House of
20Representatives, regardless of whether the individual has
21begun the term of service.
22    (d.1)   Subsequent annual cost-of-living adjustment for
23 officers and leaders.--
24(1)   Except as provided under [paragraph (2)] paragraphs
25    (2) and (3), for the 12-month period beginning December 1,
26    1997, through November 30, 1998, and for each like 12-month
27    period thereafter, the additional compensation of the
28    officers and leaders of the General Assembly shall be
29    increased by an annual cost-of-living adjustment calculated
30    by applying the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index
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1  for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the Pennsylvania, New
2  Jersey, Delaware and Maryland area, for the most recent 12-
3  month period for which figures have been officially reported
4  by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor
5  Statistics immediately prior to the date the adjustment is
6  due to take effect, to the then current compensation. The
7  percentage increase and the new compensation amounts shall be
8  determined jointly by the Chief Clerk of the Senate and the
9  Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives prior to the
10  annual effective date of the adjustment and shall be
11  published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin within 20 days
12  immediately prior to each cost-of-living increase taking
13  effect.
14      (2)   The additional compensation of the officers and
15  leaders of the General Assembly may not be increased by an
16  annual cost-of-living adjustment under paragraph (1) for the
17  period beginning December 1, 2020, through November 30, 2021.
18  Notice of the provisions of this subsection shall be
19  transmitted to the Legislative Reference Bureau for
20  publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin prior to December 1,
21  2020.
22      (3)   An officer or leader of the General Assembly may opt
23  out of the automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment under
24  paragraph (1) in accordance with this paragraph. The
25  following apply:
26(i)   The decision to opt out of the automatic annual
27      cost-of-living adjustment:
28(A)   Must be made within 30 days after the date
29on which the officer or leader is elected or
30appointed.
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1(B)   Shall be effective during the entire period
2of service in the position to which the officer or
3leader is elected or appointed.
4(C)   May not be rescinded during the period of
5service in the position to which the officer or
6leader is elected or appointed.
7(ii)    If an officer or leader of the General Assembly
8      opts out of the automatic annual cost-of-living
9      adjustment, the officer or leader shall still receive,
10      during the entire period of service for which the
11      decision to opt out is made, the additional compensation
12      established under subsection (b) that was in effect on
13      the date the officer or leader was elected or appointed
14      to the position.
15(iii)    The Chief Clerk of the Senate and the Chief
16      Clerk of the House of Representatives shall jointly
17      develop a form for officers and leaders of the General
18      Assembly to opt out of the annual cost-of-living
19      adjustment. The form shall be substantially in the
20      following form:
21AUTOMATIC COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT OPT OUT
22FOR OFFICERS AND LEADERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
23      I, ........................, choose to opt out of the
24  automatic annual cost-of-living adjustment for officers and
25  leaders of the General Assembly, as provided under section 4
26  of the Public Official Compensation Law, during my entire
27  period of service in the position to which I was elected or
28  appointed. Instead, I choose to have my additional
29  compensation as an officer or leader of the General Assembly
30  remain, throughout that period of service, the same as it was
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1  on the date I was elected or appointed to the position,
2  without any automatic cost-of-living adjustment.
3  ........................  ....................
4  (Signature)  (Date)
5  ...............................
6  (Position as officer or leader)
7(iv)    To opt out of the automatic annual cost-of-
8      living adjustment, an officer or leader of the General
9      Assembly must complete the form described in subparagraph
10      (iii) and return it to the Chief Clerk of the Senate or
11      the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, as
12      applicable, within the period specified in subparagraph
13      (i)(A), so that the officer's or leader's additional
14      compensation may be processed without the automatic
15      annual cost-of-living adjustment.
16(v)    If an officer or leader of the General Assembly
17      does not complete the form described in subparagraph
18      (iii) in accordance with subparagraph (iv), the officer
19      or leader shall receive the automatic annual cost-of-
20      living adjustment.
21(vi)    For purposes of this paragraph, the term
22      "officer or leader of the General Assembly" or "officer
23      or leader" means an individual described under subsection
24      (b), regardless of whether the individual has begun
25      service in the position to which the individual was
26      elected or appointed.
27  Section 2.     This act shall take effect immediately.
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