August 2026 Pennsylvania GRAC Update

Pennsylvania NEPSA Legislative Update

The Pennsylvania general assembly remains in recess until late September. Legislators are working hard in their districts as all 203 House members and 25 Senators are up for re-election. As we outlined last month, majority margins are extremely close and the fate of the Senate’s republican majority hangs in the balance. This fact has led to unprecedented fundraising efforts from both parties.

Governor Josh Shapiro (D) and his opponent, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R) are also hard at work on the campaign trail during a time when PA voters are concerned about a myriad of issues. One that has been at the forefront of most conversations is energy and recently, grid reliability and energy costs in particular. These issues are central to the emergence of data center developments across the state.

The current two year legislative session ends November 30, 2026. With just nine scheduled voting days remaining this session the question remains whether or not any legislative business will get done before the end of session. Some unfinished business includes if the legislature will tax and regulate so-called skill games following the Supreme Court ruling that these gaming devices are merely another form of slot machines and not legal anywhere other than in a casino. Legislation to protect communities against unwanted data center development could also emerge as a popular pre-election issue. We do not expect any action on issues impacting NEPSA members but will continue to regularly monitor all legislative and regulatory developments.