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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania Bill 845 Creates Administrative Process for Legal Name Changes Through the Department of Health
Last action · March 10, 2025: Referred to JUDICIARY, March 10, 2025Sponsors: Joe Webster and 14 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Pennsylvania residents may apply for a legal name change through the Department of Health via an administrative process or at PennDOT driver license and photo centers, bypassing court petitions under certain conditions. The measure also removes the mandatory two-year waiting period for individuals with felony convictions seeking a name change, provided they have completed their sentences.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Pennsylvania residents
Residents gain an administrative option to file for a legal name change through the Department of Health and PennDOT centers instead of going exclusively through court.
Individuals with felony convictions
Department of Health
The agency is tasked with prescribing application forms, maintaining website access, scheduling conferences, sealing files, and deciding administrative name change applications.
Department of Transportation
Driver license and photo centers must distribute application forms, accept submissions, and securely transmit applications to the Department of Health.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I submit a name change application at a PennDOT center?
Are administrative name change files open to the public?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Mar 10, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to JUDICIARY, March 10, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Decentralization of Name Change Filings
The legislation shifts name change processing authority from solely judicial venues (courts of common pleas) to an administrative framework involving the Department of Health and PennDOT.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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