In response to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent decision, we will introduce legislation to strengthen and reaffirm the 24-hour notice requirement of the Sunshine Act.
 
Discovering that a local government approved significant financial or policy changes without providing any public notice is beyond unsettling; it’s unjust.  These decisions could include land-use and zoning approvals, annual budget and taxation decisions, infrastructure and public works projects, and a wide range of other consequential actions that taxpayers must be informed about.
 
On November 24, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that government agencies may add items to their meeting agenda with a simple majority vote without meaningful public notice. If the public doesn’t know in advance what will be on the agenda, how can they provide meaningful comments?
 
This was never the intent of Act 65 of 2021. Those amendments spelled out three narrow exceptions for emergencies and minor business, not a blanket exception that lets agencies vote to take up any business they want without notice. When a public body can act on major items, often with financial and policy consequences, without prior notice, the result is predictable: diminished trust, reduced accountability, and a process that feels more secretive than transparent. This type of practice risks overshadowing the very public notice requirements that were designed in Act 65 to keep government in the sunlight.
 
The Sunshine Act was created to ensure Pennsylvanians can witness and engage in the decisions that shape their communities. It is incumbent upon the legislature to ensure that exceptions are limited to genuine emergencies or to de minimis matters that do not involve the expenditure of public funds or require an agency to enter into a contract or agreement. 
 
Please join us in co-sponsoring this legislation, reaffirming the intent of Act 65 to protect transparency and keep government accountable to the people of Pennsylvania.