15 New PA Laws: AI Porn, Ireland Relations, Lyme Disease, More

New PA laws restrict artificial intelligence pornography, strengthen Pennsylvania-Ireland relations and promote Lyme disease education.

HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Josh Shapiro signed 15 bills into law Tuesday that create a new state emergency response team, addresses the tracking of sexual assault kits, alters workers compensation regulations and more.

The laws also deal with artificial intelligence pornography, additional Lyme disease education opportunities and the bonds between Pennsylvania and Ireland.

Here's a look at the new laws:

House Bill 843: Creates a second Pennsylvania Task Force Urban Search & Rescue Team, based in Allegheny County, to complement the existing Philadelphia-based one.

House Bill 1509: Allows all boards of inspectors for county jails and prisons the option to include two to four members of the public on their panel.

House Bill 1608: Extends Medicaid coverage to doula services while also creating a doula advisory board. Doulas are trained professionals who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers before, during, and after labor.

House Bill 2132: Establishes a Pennsylvania-Ireland Trade Commission, which will be tasked with advancing bilateral trade and investment between the two countries, initiating joint action on policy issues of mutual interest, promoting business and academic exchanges and encouraging mutual economic support.

House Bill 2185 : Mandates the state Department of Education to develop and distribute a fact sheet to parents and guardians of students educating them about the warning signs of Type-1 Diabetes.

House Bill 2378: Excludes the principal and any interest accrued from savings bonds for seniors 65 and older when calculating income eligibility for PACE and PACENET prescription drug care programs.

House Bill 2381: Grant boards that are subject to an interstate licensure compact the power to promulgate temporary rules for compact implementation. Interstate compacts provide flexibility for trained professionals to practice where they want and where they are needed.

Senate Bill 232: Establish a protocol for when a tick is found on a child during the school day. School officials now are required to notify parents about the tick removal and the symptoms of Lyme disease.

Senate Bill 365: Changes the standard that a first responder must meet to establish a workers' compensation claim for a post-traumatic stress injury.

Senate Bill 920: Establishes a sexual assault kit tracking system that allows someone to follow the path of a kit through the chain of custody.

Senate Bill 1051: Permits the state Board of Finance and Revenue to consider late filed tax appeals from the Department of Revenue and creates a settlement process for taxpayers as an alternative to a formal and lengthy court appeals process.

Senate Bill 1160: Places Vietnam War Veterans Day (March 29th) into state Title 38 regarding holidays and observances, as has been done for Persian Gulf War Veterans Day and Global War on Terrorism Veterans Day.

Senate Bill 1213: Prohibits the use of artificial intelligence technology to create pornographic images of an individual without their consent and bans the use of artificial intelligence to create child pornography.

Senate Bill 1232: Allows workers' compensation claimants to request benefit payments via direct deposit or employers to require benefit payments by direct deposit.

Senate Bill 1237: Reauthorizes the state's one-call system (dial 811 before you dig), which faced an expiring sunset date.

15 New PA Laws: AI Porn, Ireland Relations, Lyme Disease, More

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