In just the past few weeks, Harrisburg has been a battlefield for the future of life, family, and freedom in Pennsylvania. The good news? Thanks to the pressure from citizens like you, several harmful bills have been stalled in their tracks – for now.
The bad news? Other harmful measures are racing forward, while critical protections for the unborn, parental rights, and individual liberty remain bottled up by lawmakers who refuse to face reality.
Here’s the latest on what just happened, where each bill stands today, and what’s coming next.
House Bill 300: The So-Called “Fairness Act.”
Momentum has shifted in Harrisburg regarding House Bill 300, a proposal that would erode religious liberty by establishing sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act. It would force female athletes to compete against biological males, women’s shelters to admit men, & faith-based schools & ministries to violate their convictions, among other things.
On March 24, HB 300 was scheduled for a vote on the House floor. However, in a surprising turn of events, the bill was pulled from final consideration by Democrat leadership after it became clear that it lacked the necessary support to pass. Even prime sponsor Malcolm Kenyatta (D – Philadelphia) admitted that they didn’t have the votes. This is a huge win, and it happened because hundreds of Pennsylvanians like you took action and urged your legislators to oppose this bill. It also marks a major shift, because the same bill passed the House during the 2023-24 legislative session. It was then thankfully not taken up by the Senate.
At this time, HB 300 has been tabled for possible reconsideration when the House reconvenes on April 13th. While the delay is encouraging, it does not mean that the bill is dead. Democrat leadership and bill sponsors have made it clear that they plan to continue pushing the bill forward. We expect them to attempt to keep moving HB 300 forward by introducing nearly identical language as an amendment to a different bill – one they hope would garner enough votes to pass.
We will continue to monitor HB 300 closely and take action as needed. Your continued engagement will be essential in the weeks ahead as the situation develops.
House Bill 1800 and the Rest of the Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Package
While last week’s delay on House Bill 300 was encouraging, equally discouraging was the passage of House Bill 1800, the so-called “Marriage Equality Act.” With a vote of 127-72 (with 26 Republicans joining all but one Democrat in voting yes), HB 1800 passed the House on March 24. HB 1800 would rewrite Pennsylvania’s marriage law, erasing the truth about marriage between one man and one woman and cheapening it to “a civil contract between two individuals.”
Right now, House Bill 1800 is not scheduled for movement in the Senate. We are hoping that Senate leadership will not take up this bill, but we don’t yet know the bill’s fate. Join us in praying that House Bill 1800 will die in the Senate.
The rest of the sexual orientation & gender identity package was passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on March 10th, but has not yet been brought to the House floor for a final vote. This includes HB 632, HB 1315, HB 1902, and HB 1905. These bills would further harm religious liberty by sealing name change records, weakening prostitution laws, and modifying Pennsylvania’s hate crime laws and civil rights laws to include gender identity. While the House has yet to vote on them, we are bracing for them to be voted on any day.
Senate Bill 9: The Save Women’s Sports Act
The Save Women’s Sports Act has been floating around the House for nearly a year since the Senate passed it in 2025 with bipartisan support. Since then, Democrat leadership in the House has suppressed a vote on the bill by a procedural move called “re-referral.” In short, Democratic leadership has sent the bill to a different committee three separate times, effectively kicking the can down the road to avoid a vote.
Last week, Minority Chair Rep. Kate Klunk (R – York) attempted to bring the bill up for a vote in the Children & Youth Committee. However, she was immediately shot down by Acting Committee Chair Rep. Liz Hanbidge (D – Montgomery), who rushed through a vote to shut down Klunk’s motion with no discussion. Hanbidge and her Democrat colleagues then walked out of the committee room, ignoring the pleas of the Republican committee members.
We’re continuing to monitor Senate Bill 9, fighting for it to be brought up for a vote, and we’ll update you as things unfold.
Your voice matters! To take action and stay up to date on these pieces of legislation and others, visit pafamily.org and sign up for our legislative email alerts.
We’re seeing change happen because of you. Let’s keep on fighting for the objective truths that lead to human flourishing for all Pennsylvanians.
