Last week, the Pennsylvania House passed several bills including legislation to raise the state’s minimum wage and create a paid family and medical leave program.

House Bill 2189 would increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage to $15 by 2029 (permanently indexed to inflation) and passed the House by a vote of 104-95. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Jason Dawkins. NFIB has opposed this legislation and warned lawmakers of the unintended consequences of this one-size-fits-all mandate for small businesses. Read our recent press release here.

NFIB’s team highlighted our survey to lawmakers, which shows Pennsylvania would lose over 101,000 jobs, with almost 57,000 of those job losses being suffered by small businesses, if a similar bill was enacted.

TAKE ACTION: Tell your legislators you cannot afford an increased minimum wage!

House Bill 200 would create a paid family and medical leave program and passed the House by a vote of 107-92. The bill is sponsored by state Rep. Jennifer O’Mara. If passed, Pennsylvania employers would be required to offer paid family and sick leave, even if they only have a single employee. The eligibility requirements for the program are also lax, with employees qualifying for leave after 18 weeks of work. NFIB opposes this mandate and has cautioned lawmakers that this negatively impacts small business owners already dealing with labor shortages and shrinking margins.

This legislation would require small employers to process claims, calculate benefits, pay out benefits, educate employees on access to paid leave, and continue healthcare coverage during leave.

ACT NOW: Tell Senate lawmakers paid leave shouldn’t be on small businesses and to reject this harmful legislation!

ICYMI: Pennsylvania small business owners are invited to NFIB’s Small Business Day at the Capitol. Join us in Harrisburg on May 5th – register here!