Pennsylvania lawmakers have passed Senate Bill 1150 to strengthen the state's Sunshine Act, requiring public agencies to give meaningful notice before acting on important matters and closing a loophole that let boards add unannounced items to a meeting agenda by a simple majority vote.

Source: Lehigh Times (Spotlight PA reporting)

The bill, sponsored by Senators Pat Stefano and Jarrett Coleman, reinforces the 24-hour agenda-posting requirement set by Act 65 of 2021 and keeps exceptions for emergencies and minor matters narrow, according to the Lehigh Times summary of the legislation. Governor Josh Shapiro intends to sign it, Spotlight PA reported.

Source: Lehigh Times (Spotlight PA reporting)

Why the law is changing

The fix responds to a Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision in late 2025. The case began in 2021, when a Lehigh County school board added an item at the last minute and voted to ratify a teachers' union contract; Coleman, now a state senator, challenged the move. The Supreme Court disagreed with him, reading the Act's majority-vote language as a separate, independent exception to the 24-hour notice rule, a legal briefing by the law firm Saxton & Stump explains.

Source: Saxton & Stump — Sunshine Protection Act briefing

Under the new law, a majority vote is still required to add a late item, but one of the Act's three existing exceptions must also apply: an emergency, a de minimis (minor) matter, or an issue raised by a resident or taxpayer that needs an immediate vote or referral to staff. A majority vote on its own will no longer be an exception, Saxton & Stump said.

'Transparency only works when the public can see what's coming,' Coleman said, in a remark quoted in the Saxton & Stump briefing. Municipal councils, township boards and other local agencies are being advised to review how they prepare and amend agendas before the change takes effect.