HB 1804 — An Act providing for the withholding of Commonwealth payments to the Federal Government; perfecting liens on Federal property; establishing a civil cause of action; and prohibiting the Commonwealth from sharing data with the Federal Government that contains personally identifiable information.

PRINTER'S NO.   2218

                    THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                        HOUSE BILL
                        No. 1804
                                                Session of
                                                  2025

     INTRODUCED BY BIZZARRO, CEPHAS, HILL-EVANS, PIELLI, GUZMAN,
        HOHENSTEIN, GIRAL, WAXMAN, SCHLOSSBERG, PROBST, SANCHEZ,
        DONAHUE, ABNEY, BRIGGS, D. WILLIAMS, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, FRANKEL,
        BOYD AND FRIEL, AUGUST 14, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS AND
        OPERATIONS, AUGUST 15, 2025


                                    AN ACT
 1   Providing for the withholding of Commonwealth payments to the
 2      Federal Government; perfecting liens on Federal property;
 3      establishing a civil cause of action; and prohibiting the
 4      Commonwealth from sharing data with the Federal Government
 5      that contains personally identifiable information.
 6                            TABLE OF CONTENTS
 7   Chapter 1.   Preliminary Provisions
 8   Section 101.   Short title.
 9   Section 102.   Definitions.
10   Chapter 3.   Federal Money Withholding and Appropriation
11   Section 301.   Report of treasurer.
12   Section 302.   Withholding of Federal money.
13   Section 303.   Amount of withholding.
14   Chapter 5.   Liens on Federal Property
15   Section 501.   Duty of treasurer.
16   Section 502.   Duty of Attorney General.
17   Chapter 7.   Data Protection
18   Section 701.   Prohibited data sharing.
 1   Section 702.    Actions for violations.
 2   Chapter 9.    Miscellaneous Provisions
 3   Section 901.    Private right of action.
 4   Section 902.    Applicability.
 5   Section 903.    Effective date.
 6      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 7   hereby enacts as follows:
 8                                  CHAPTER 1
 9                          PRELIMINARY PROVISIONS
10   Section 101.    Short title.
11      This act shall be known and may be cited as the Protect
12   Pennsylvanians Act.
13   Section 102.    Definitions.
14      The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
15   have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
16   context clearly indicates otherwise:
17      "Agency."    An association, authority, board, department,
18   commission, independent agency, institution, office or other
19   body in State government created or authorized to be created by
20   the Constitution or any law, including the General Assembly and
21   the courts.
22      "Personally identifiable information."    Information that can
23   be associated with a particular individual through one or more
24   identifiers or other information or circumstances.
25      "Treasurer."    The State Treasurer of the Commonwealth.
26                                  CHAPTER 3
27                FEDERAL MONEY WITHHOLDING AND APPROPRIATION
28   Section 301.    Report of treasurer.
29      (a)   Duty of treasurer.--The treasurer shall create a report
30   and submit the report to the Governor, the Chief Clerk of the

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 1   Senate and the Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives for
 2   distribution to the members of the legislature no more than 60
 3   days after the effective date of this subsection. The report
 4   shall include:
 5            (1)   Federal money owed to the Commonwealth when the
 6      Federal Government's nonpayment is in contravention of a
 7      court decision.
 8            (2)   Money the treasurer projects will be due to be paid
 9      by the Commonwealth to the Federal Government during the
10      succeeding 12 months, including Federal taxes owed by the
11      Commonwealth as an employer, Federal employment taxes
12      withheld by the Commonwealth on behalf of the
13      Federal Government, offsets for Federal debts, backup
14      withholding of Federal taxes and Federal grant repayments.
15      (b)   Update to report.--The treasurer shall update the report
16   compiled under subsection (a) monthly.
17   Section 302.    Withholding Federal money.
18      Following issuance of a report under section 301, if there is
19   Federal money owed to the Commonwealth in contravention of a
20   court decision, the Governor, the treasurer and the Secretary of
21   the Budget, acting jointly and unanimously, may direct the
22   Secretary of Revenue to withhold payments to
23   the Federal Government. The total amount withheld shall not
24   exceed the amount of Federal money owed to the Commonwealth in
25   contravention of a court decision as described in the report
26   under section 301.
27   Section 303.    Amount of withholding.
28      Money held pursuant to section 302 shall be made available
29   for appropriation as State money. The appropriations under this
30   section may not exceed the amount of Federal money owed to the

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 1   Commonwealth in contravention of a court decision as described
 2   under section 301(a)(2).
 3                                  CHAPTER 5
 4                          LIENS ON FEDERAL PROPERTY
 5   Section 501.    Duty of treasurer.
 6      If the treasurer determines that Federal money was authorized
 7   under an act of Congress and is being withheld under an
 8   executive order of the President of the United States or in
 9   contravention of a court order, the treasurer shall:
10          (1)     Determine the approximate amount of Federal money
11      the Commonwealth is being or is expected to be deprived of as
12      the result of the executive order or contravention of the
13      court order.
14          (2)     Not later than 60 days after the date of the
15      executive order or court order, submit to the Governor and to
16      the Chief Clerk of the Senate and the Chief Clerk of the
17      House of Representatives a report that:
18                (i)    Describes in detail the amount of Federal money
19          the Commonwealth is being or is expected to be deprived
20          of as the result of the executive order or contravention
21          of the court order, as determined under this section.
22                (ii)   Identifies properties located in this
23          Commonwealth that are owned by the Federal Government.
24          (3)     Submit a notice requesting that the Attorney General
25      obtain a lien on one or more properties identified under
26      paragraph (2)(ii) in a total amount not to exceed the
27      approximate amount of Federal money the Commonwealth is being
28      or is expected to be deprived of as the result of the
29      executive order or contravention of the court order.
30   Section 502.    Duty of Attorney General.

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 1      The Attorney General shall obtain a lien on the Federal
 2   property identified under section 501 in the Attorney General's
 3   official capacity.
 4                                 CHAPTER 7
 5                              DATA PROTECTION
 6   Section 701.    Prohibited data sharing.
 7      (a)   General rule.--Except as provided under subsection (b),
 8   an agency may not share with any Federal official or agency data
 9   containing personally identifiable information unless the data
10   is first masked or otherwise anonymized.
11      (b)   Exceptions.--
12            (1)   An agency may share personally identifiable
13      information with a Federal official or agency to the extent
14      necessary to comply with Federal or State law or to carry out
15      the administration of a Federal or State program.
16            (2)   A member of the General Assembly may share
17      personally identifiable information with a Federal official
18      or agency to the extent necessary to carry out constituent
19      relations or the member's official duties.
20            (3)   A court may share personally identifiable
21      information with a Federal official or agency to the extent
22      necessary to carry out the court's official duties.
23   Section 702.    Actions for violations.
24      A person who negligently violates section 701 shall be liable
25   to any person injured as a result of the violation for actual
26   damages to that person, exemplary damages of not more than
27   $1,000 and costs and reasonable actual attorney fees.
28                                 CHAPTER 9
29                          MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
30   Section 901.    Private right of action.

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 1      (a)   Cause of action.--An individual who has been deprived of
 2   any due process or equal protection rights, privileges or
 3   immunities secured by the Constitution of the United States or
 4   Federal law, or any rights, privileges or immunities secured by
 5   the Constitution of Pennsylvania or the laws of this
 6   Commonwealth, by a person acting under the color of law, or
 7   whose exercise or enjoyment of those rights, privileges or
 8   immunities has been interfered with or attempted to be
 9   interfered with, by threats, intimidation or coercion by a
10   person acting under the color of law, may bring a cause of
11   action or suit against another person, including the
12   Commonwealth or agency, for damages and for injunctive or other
13   appropriate relief.
14      (b)   Attorney fees.--In addition to any damages or injunctive
15   or other appropriate relief awarded to a prevailing plaintiff in
16   an action under this section, the court shall award the
17   prevailing plaintiff reasonable attorney fees and costs.
18      (c)   Statute of limitations.--An action under this section
19   must be commenced within six years after the alleged violation
20   of this act.
21   Section 902.   Applicability.
22      This act shall apply to causes of action accruing on or after
23   the effective date of this section.
24   Section 903.   Effective date.
25      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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