Bills We Are Proud Of
Senator Carolyn T. Comitta is known as a champion of LGBTQ+ equality and rights for the benefit of all communities, individuals and families across Pennsylvania.
As a member of West Chester Borough Council in 2006, she helped lead the effort to make West Chester the first municipality in Chester County to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.
Later, during her tenure as Mayor of West Chester, Comitta celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges and presided over numerous weddings of loving same-sex couples.
In the state senate, Comitta serves on the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and continues to be a strong supporter and vocal advocate for legislation to ensure that all LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians are treated with respect, fairness, and equal rights under the law. That includes measures to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination, updating our laws to reflect the rights of same-sex couples to marry, and more.
Sen. Comitta’s LGBTQ+ Legislation
SB 682 (Sen. Comitta)
While the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling Obergefell v. Hodges made marriage equality the law of the land, outdated laws still remain on the books in Pennsylvania that define marriage only between a man and a woman. It is a disservice to all our fellow Pennsylvanians in loving, same-sex marriages to continue to allow this obsolete section of law to exist. This legislation will remove the prohibition of same sex marriage and affirm Pennsylvania’s commitment to equality for all.
SB 554 (Sen. Comitta and Sen. L. Williams)
Educational Improvement and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credits (EITC & OSTC) provide scholarships that help Pennsylvania children afford a school other than their school district of residence. Unfortunately, LGBTQ+ students are frequently denied support by some private schools that choose to discriminate against them in the admissions process. This is completely unacceptable. That’s why along with Sen. L. Williams I have introduced legislation to protect these students by requiring schools that receive funding through these programs to have a written policy of nondiscrimination.
Removing Administrative Barriers
SB 63 (Sen. Kearney)
Expands the ethnic intimidation definition to include and add those same protections for hate-based intimidation based on ancestry, sex, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, intellectual disability, physical or sensory disability or behavioral or mental health.
SB 524 (Sen. Kearney)
Removes legal barriers and creates Name Change Assistance Grants for Transgender Pennsylvanians.
SB 523 (Sen. Kearney)
New Pa-issued birth certificates no longer include sex designation.
SB 326 (Sen. Street)
Collects demographic data with the inclusion of a voluntary LGBTQ+ identifier question on state forms to collect critical data needed to combat anti-LGBTQ+ efforts and better serve LGBTQ+ individuals in the community
SB 526 (Sen. L. Williams)
Lowers the delays, cost and confusion involved in the current name change process by requiring publicly available information on name change process, dedicated safe point of contact and training.
SB 528 (Sen. Muth)
Makes the publication requirements more affordable and creates privacy protections. Eliminates the publication requirement and make automatic sealing of records the default.
SB 530 (Sen. Cappelletti)
Creates a new administrative name change process to be a simpler and streamlined administrative process.
Economic Justice
SB 474 (Sen. Boscola)
Prohibits the denial of credit based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
SB 370 (Sen. Street)
Will designate $2.5 million from the Lottery Fund to support a LGBTQ Senior Community Grant Program.
SB 541 (Sen. Muth)
Requires insurance coverage for pre-exposure prophylaxis HIV medication.
SB 542 (Sen. Muth)
Requires insurance coverage for the expenses of any post-exposure prophylaxis HIV medication.
Hate Crime Prevention
SB 648 – SB 653 (Sen. Costa)
Improves hate crimes prevention by including penalties for intimidation and a reporting system for schools and post-secondary intuitions that would allow for better protection of our LGBTQ+ community.
No Bill # Yet (Sen. A. Williams)
Protected minors from conversion therapy (abuse) by prohibiting its use on someone under 18.
No Bill # Yet (Sen. Collett)
Prohibits the criminal justice loophole of the “Gay and trans panic” homicide defense.
Social Justice
SB 150 (Sen. Santarsiero and Sen. Saval)
Adds sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.
