Here are some of the new Pennsylvania laws taking effect in 2026

Several new state laws are expected to take effect in early 2026, from laws that provide new tax credits to laws that ban hair discrimination and require schools to be more transparent about gun-related incidents.

The tax credit for Pennsylvania workers is part of the new state budget, which Governor Josh Shapiro signed into law on November 12.

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It provides a refundable tax credit to low- and middle-income workers, similar to the federal Earned Income Tax Credit. Any person meeting the conditions required to benefit from the latter will also benefit from this new state provision. Income, filing status and number of dependents play a role in eligibility and refund amount, but the refund will be 10% of what a person receives from the EITC.

The tax credit for Pennsylvania workers is capped at $805. It may be requested when people file their tax returns for the 2025 tax year.

Cut the fat

Another cost-cutting provision in the budget means that popular GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic, when used for obesity and weight loss, will no longer be covered by Medicaid. However, state Medicaid will continue to cover medications intended to treat diabetes.

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A new law taking effect Jan. 23, SB 88, will require insurers to cover the costs of mammograms and breast cancer screenings and exams. Sponsor Sen. Frank Ferry said the legislation builds on Act 1 of 2023, which passed last session. Act 1 is a comprehensive law on breast cancer screening and genetic testing.

“Under our proposal, similar to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) guidelines, patients could receive additional screenings and diagnostic exams without cost sharing if they are at average or higher risk for breast cancer,” Ferry said in his co-sponsorship memo in June.

The ABLE Age Adjustment Act amends the law to apply to persons with disabilities whose disability began before age 46. It previously applied to anyone whose disability began before the age of 26.

ABLE accounts are tax-free savings accounts that allow a person with a disability to save money for housing, health care, transportation, and other expenses without affecting their eligibility for means-tested benefits such as Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, or housing and food assistance programs.

The expanded eligibility takes effect January 1.

Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act prohibits discrimination based on hairstyles, including braids, dreadlocks, twists and afros, as well as head coverings. The law amends the state’s human relations law by adding hair textures and styles to protected characteristics.

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Some 27 states, including neighboring New York, New Jersey and Maryland, have what are called CROWN laws. The laws were passed in blue and red states, from California, which was the first to pass such legislation in 2019, to Texas and Arkansas. Pennsylvania’s law takes effect January 24.

Weapons notification

Sponsored by Republican Sen. Jarrett Coleman, R-16th Dist., SB 246 requires all K-12 schools, including public, private, charter, vocational, and technical schools, to notify parents, guardians, and school employees within 24 hours of any incident involving a weapon that occurs on school property, during school-sponsored activities, or on school transportation.

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Schools should use a form of communication most likely to reach the intended recipients to make the notification.

Citing the law, Coleman noted that school districts are now only required to notify the Department of Education when students are expelled for weapons violations.

“There should be a much higher level of transparency regarding weapons brought into schools,” Coleman wrote in his memo co-sponsoring the legislation.

The new law, which has garnered bipartisan support, takes effect on January 6.

Second phase

Pennsylvania’s new distracted driving law, the Paul Miller Act, named after a man who was killed by a distracted driver, took effect in June.

More: Distracted Driving Law Takes Effect in June in Pennsylvania

This added to the state’s definition of distracted driving holding or supporting a phone or similar electronic device with your hands or body, and using more than a single button to answer a phone call, among other things. The new provisions apply to times when a driver is temporarily stopped, such as at a red light or traffic sign, or simply stuck in traffic.

But the first phase of the new law was purely educational in nature. Beginning June 6, 2026, law enforcement officers will be able to cite a driver for a summary offense, instead of issuing a written warning. A first offense will result in a $50 fine, court costs and other applicable fees.

Matthew Rink is an investigative reporter for the USA TODAY Network in Pennsylvania.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Tax credit, hair discrimination ban among PA’s new laws for 2026