HB 1532 — An Act amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, in general provisions, further providing for definitions; in comprehensive plan, providing for municipal specific plans; and, in intergovernmental cooperative planning and implementation agreements, further providing for specific plans.

PRINTER'S NO.   1793

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 1532
                                               Session of
                                                 2025

     INTRODUCED BY FREEMAN, SANCHEZ, K.HARRIS, NEILSON, CEPEDA-
        FREYTIZ, FLEMING AND KHAN, MAY 30, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT, MAY 30, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), entitled
 2      "An act to empower cities of the second class A, and third
 3      class, boroughs, incorporated towns, townships of the first
 4      and second classes including those within a county of the
 5      second class and counties of the second through eighth
 6      classes, individually or jointly, to plan their development
 7      and to govern the same by zoning, subdivision and land
 8      development ordinances, planned residential development and
 9      other ordinances, by official maps, by the reservation of
10      certain land for future public purpose and by the acquisition
11      of such land; to promote the conservation of energy through
12      the use of planning practices and to promote the effective
13      utilization of renewable energy sources; providing for the
14      establishment of planning commissions, planning departments,
15      planning committees and zoning hearing boards, authorizing
16      them to charge fees, make inspections and hold public
17      hearings; providing for mediation; providing for transferable
18      development rights; providing for appropriations, appeals to
19      courts and penalties for violations; and repealing acts and
20      parts of acts," in general provisions, further providing for
21      definitions; in comprehensive plan, providing for municipal
22      specific plans; and, in intergovernmental cooperative
23      planning and implementation agreements, further providing for
24      specific plans.
25      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
26   hereby enacts as follows:
27      Section 1.    The definition of "specific plan" in section
28   107(a) of the act of July 31, 1968 (P.L.805, No.247), known as
29   the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code, is amended and
 1   the subsection is amended by adding a definition to read:
 2      Section 107.   Definitions.--(a)   The following words and
 3   phrases when used in this act shall have the meanings given to
 4   them in this subsection unless the context clearly indicates
 5   otherwise:
 6      * * *
 7      "Sketch plan," a simplified, preliminary drawing that
 8   outlines the basic layout of a proposed development project,
 9   providing a conceptual overview of the land use, lot
10   configuration and potential street alignments.
11      * * *
12      "Specific plan," a detailed plan for [nonresidential]
13   development of an area covered by a municipal or multimunicipal
14   comprehensive plan[, which, when approved and adopted by the
15   participating municipalities through ordinances and agreements,
16   supersedes all other applicable ordinances] under section 308 or
17   1106.
18      * * *
19      Section 2.   The act is amended by adding a section to read:
20      Section 308.   Municipal Specific Plans.--(a)   A municipality
21   shall have authority to adopt a specific plan for the systematic
22   implementation of any portion of the municipality's own
23   comprehensive plan. A specific plan shall meet the requirements
24   of and have the legal effects specified in section 1106.
25      (b)   Notwithstanding any other provision of this act, when a
26   municipality adopts a specific plan implementing the
27   municipality's comprehensive plan, the terms of the plan shall
28   be deemed an amendment to the comprehensive plan to the extent
29   that the terms are inconsistent.
30      (c)   Notwithstanding section 1106(e), a municipality may

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 1   establish a reasonable fee to recover the cost of adopting and
 2   implementing a specific plan under subsection (a).
 3      Section 3.   Section 1106 of the act is amended to read:
 4      Section 1106. Specific Plans.--(a)   [Participating
 5   municipalities] A municipality shall have authority to adopt a
 6   specific plan for the systematic implementation of a county or
 7   multimunicipal comprehensive plan for any [nonresidential] part
 8   of the area covered by the plan under this article or municipal
 9   comprehensive plan under Article III. Such specific plan shall
10   include a text and a diagram or diagrams and implementing
11   ordinances which may specify [all of the following in detail]:
12          (1)   The distribution, location, intensity, extent of
13      area and standards for land uses and facilities, including
14      design of sewage, water, drainage and other essential
15      facilities needed to support the land uses.
16          (2)   The location, classification and design of all
17      transportation facilities, including, but not limited to,
18      streets and roads needed to serve the land uses described in
19      the specific plan.
20          (3)   Standards for population density, accommodation of
21      expected new housing, dwelling types, land coverage, building
22      intensity, housing densities for households of various income
23      levels and supporting services, including utilities.
24          (4)   Standards for the preservation, conservation,
25      development and use of natural resources, including the
26      protection of significant open spaces, resource lands and
27      agricultural lands within or adjacent to the area covered by
28      the specific plan.
29          (5)   A program of implementation including regulations,
30      financing of the capital improvements and provisions for

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 1      repealing or amending the specific plan. Regulations may
 2      include zoning, storm water, subdivision and land
 3      development, highway access and any other provisions for
 4      which municipalities are authorized by law to enact. The
 5      regulations may be amended into the county or municipal
 6      ordinances or adopted as separate ordinances. If enacted as
 7      separate ordinances for the area covered by the specific
 8      plan, the ordinances shall repeal and replace any county or
 9      municipal ordinances in effect within the area covered by the
10      specific plan, and ordinances shall conform to the provisions
11      of the specific plan.
12      (b)   (1)   [No] Except as provided under section 308(b), a
13      specific plan may not be adopted or amended unless the
14      proposed plan or amendment is consistent with an adopted
15      county or multimunicipal comprehensive plan.
16            (2)   No capital project by any municipal authority or
17      municipality shall be approved or undertaken and no final
18      plan, development plan or plat for any subdivision or
19      development of land shall be approved unless such projects,
20      plans or plats are consistent with the adopted specific plan.
21      (c)   [In adopting or amending a specific plan, a county and
22   participating municipalities shall use] A specific plan shall be
23   adopted or amended using the same procedures as provided in this
24   article or Article III, as applicable, for adopting
25   comprehensive plans and ordinances. Nothing in this section
26   shall prevent the concurrent adoption or amendment of a
27   comprehensive plan and related specific plan.
28      (d)   Whenever a specific plan has been adopted, applicants
29   for subdivision or land development approval shall [be required
30   to submit]:

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 1            (1)   Participate in a pre-application conference with the
 2      planning agency and present a sketch plan on a proposed
 3      development permit application.
 4            (2)   Submit only a final plan as provided in Article V,
 5      provided that such final plan is consistent with and
 6      implements the adopted specific plan.
 7      (e)   A county or counties and participating municipalities
 8   are prohibited from assessing subdivision and land development
 9   applicants for the cost of the specific plan.
10      Section 4.    This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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