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HB 721PENNSYLVANIASession 2025-2026State Billpassed chamber

Passed

Pennsylvania House Bill 721 Strengthens Penalties and Enforcement for Construction Worker Misclassification

Original title: An Act amending the act of October 13, 2010 (P.L.506, No.72), known as the Construction Workplace Misclassification Act, further providing for definitions, for improper classification of employees and for criminal penalties; providing for private right of action; further providing for administrative penalties, for retaliation for action prohibited, for availability of information, for use of penalty funds and for funding; and imposing penalties.

Last action · May 22, 2025: Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY, May 22, 2025Sponsors: Kyle Donahue and 27 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Would Do

Pennsylvania House Bill 721 increases criminal and administrative penalties for construction employers who improperly classify employees as independent contractors, establishes a for affected workers, and mandates a minimum three-year ment for intentional violators bidding on public work projects.

Why it matters

Construction workers gain the right to sue employers directly in civil court for misclassification and retaliation, with potential recovery of three times back wages and benefits, while contractors face stiffer fines, felony charges for repeat offenses, and exclusion from public contracts.

Background

The Construction Workplace Misclassification Act was originally enacted in October 2010 to set criteria for independent contractors in Pennsylvania's construction industry. context

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.

Directly affected

Construction workers

Workers gain a direct right to sue in civil court for misclassification and retaliation, with entitlement to triple damages and reinstatement.

Directly affected

Construction employers and contractors

Employers face higher criminal grading, mandatory administrative fines, and public work debarment for intentional misclassification.

Directly affected

Department of Labor and Industry

The department is tasked with assessing penalties, conducting financial audits, creating job site posters, and utilizing restricted enforcement funds.

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

What criminal charges can an employer face for misclassifying workers?

An employer or agent who knowingly violates classification requirements commits a first-degree misdemeanor for a first offense and a third-degree felony if they have one or more prior offenses.

How long does an employee have to bring a private lawsuit?

An employee must bring an action under the within three years from the date they knew of the violation, retaliation, or discrimination.

What happens to funds collected from penalties and enforcement costs?

All sums collected as penalties, recovered attorney fees, or costs are deposited into a restricted revenue account in the General Fund, which is appropriated to the department for future enforcement of the act.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Currently passed chamber. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Law.

Procedural history

11 actions

May 22, 2025SenateCommittee
Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY, May 22, 2025
May 22, 2025Senate
In the Senate
May 13, 2025HouseFloor
Third consideration and final passage, May 13, 2025 (113-90)
May 13, 2025HouseCommittee
Re-reported as committed, May 13, 2025
May 12, 2025House
Re-committed to APPROPRIATIONS, May 12, 2025
May 12, 2025HouseFloor
Second consideration, May 12, 2025

Show 5 earlier actions

May 7, 2025House
Removed from table, May 7, 2025
Apr 9, 2025House
Laid on the table, April 9, 2025
Apr 9, 2025HouseIntroduced
First consideration, April 9, 2025
Apr 9, 2025House
Reported as amended, April 9, 2025
Feb 25, 2025HouseCommittee
Referred to LABOR AND INDUSTRY, Feb. 25, 2025

Version history & redline

2 versions on file

Comparing Printer's No. 0742 → Printer's No. 1330

BOYD CERRATO CIRESI

removed addedOfficial text

PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 742 PRINTER'S NO. 1330 THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No. 721 Session of 2025 INTRODUCED BY DONAHUE, PROKOPIAK, SANCHEZ, FREEMAN, PROBST, PIELLI, RABB, BRENNAN, GIRAL, SCHLOSSBERG, HADDOCK, NEILSON, WARREN, GALLAGHER, CERRATO AND CERRATO, MALAGARI, BOYD AND CIRESI, FEBRUARY 25, 2025 REFERRED TO AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND INDUSTRY, FEBRUARY 25, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, APRIL 9, 2025 AN ACT Amending the act of October 13, 2010 (P.L.506, No.72), entitled "An act providing for the criteria for independent contractors in the […] when used in this act shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: * * * "Debar." Action taken by the secretary to prohibit a

Redline computed from the official version text (record lane).View this version →

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.

Related Legislation

State Bill

Pennsylvania House Bill 160 raises the prevailing wage project cost threshold to $257,000

Pennsylvania House Bill 160 raises the minimum project cost threshold for public works contracts subject to prevailing wage requirements from $25,000

State Bill

Pennsylvania House Bill 933 Increases Penalties and Expands Department of Labor Authority on Employee Misclassification

Pennsylvania House Bill 933 increases civil penalties for worker misclassification in the construction industry, grants the Department of Labor and In

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Introduction of Private Civil Remedies

The bill shifts enforcement from purely administrative and criminal channels by introducing a private right of action allowing workers to sue directly in courts of common pleas.

Department of Labor and Industry Office of Attorney General

Connected Entities

Perry Warren, Department of Labor and Industry, Jim Prokopiak and 17 more

PersonPerry Warren“Co-sponsor”Map →

OrganizationDepartment of Labor and Industry“Enforces act provisions and imposes administrative penalties”Map →

PersonJim Prokopiak“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 140”Map →

PersonTim Brennan“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 29”Map →

PersonSteve Malagari“Co-sponsor”Map →

PersonChris Rabb“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 200”Map →

PersonTarah Probst“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 189”Map →

PersonJim Haddock“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 118”Map →

PersonEd Neilson“Co-sponsor”Map →

PersonPat Gallagher“Co-sponsor”Map →

PersonHeather Boyd“Co-sponsor”Map →

PersonMike Schlossberg“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 132”Map →

PersonBob Freeman“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 136”Map →

PersonChris Pielli“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 156”Map →

PersonKyle Donahue“Primary sponsor of House Bill 721, District 113”Map →

PersonJosé Giral“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 180”Map →

PersonJoe Ciresi“Co-sponsor”Map →

OrganizationOffice of Attorney General“Investigates and prosecutes criminal violations of the act”Map →

PersonMissy Cerrato“Co-sponsor”Map →

PersonBen Sanchez“Co-sponsor of House Bill 721, District 140”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.palegis.us

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy65
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz45
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

What This Bill Would Do

Who It Would Affect

Key Facts

Frequently Asked Questions

News Coverage

Where This Stands

Procedural history

Version history & redline

Lobbying Activity

Full breakdown

Sponsors

Related Legislation

Pennsylvania House Bill 160 raises the prevailing wage project cost threshold to $257,000

Pennsylvania House Bill 933 Increases Penalties and Expands Department of Labor Authority on Employee Misclassification

Discoveries

Introduction of Private Civil Remedies

Connected Entities

Sources

Analysis Score

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