Governor Josh Shapiro of Abington Township signed HB 843, HB 1509, HB 1608, HB 2132, HB 2185, HB 2378, HB 2381, SB 232, SB 365, SB 920, SB 1051, SB 1160, SB 1213, SB 1232, and SB 1237 into law on Tuesday, October 29.
Last week, Shapiro signed off on a bill which includes Diwali as an official holiday in Pennsylvania. According to the new law, over six million Americans celebrate the Hindu holiday, which is a five-day festival of Indian origin. The holiday is commonly referred to as the “festival of lights” and symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
This year, the holiday is being celebrated on October 31.
House Bill 269 amends the state statute of 1868 authorizing Recorders of Deeds to record military discharge papers and extends the confidentiality of recorded military discharges from 75 to 85 years after recording.
“This is such an important win for Pennsylvania veterans,” Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds Jeanne Sorg said in a press release. “Our veterans are living longer and these documents are the most important piece of paper a veteran can hold in their hand. They also include a lot of sensitive information. We want to keep our veterans information, safe and secure for as long as possible.”
More information on the bill can be found here.
House Bill 1509, co-sponsored by Rep. Napoleon J. Nelson who serves Cheltenham, Jenkintown, and Springfield, aims to expand boards of inspectors for county jails and prisons, allowing prisons the option to include two to four members of the public on their board.
Senate Bill 1213 addresses combatting AI-generated child porn “deepfake” images. Under this bill, the use of AI technology to create pornographic images of an individual without their consent is prohibited. The use of this technology to create child pornography is also prohibited.
More details about the laws can be found here.
Shapiro signed 17 new bills into law earlier this month. In September, he signed an artillery shell as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy watched:
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Photo: Commonwealth Media Services