The new Philly and Pennsylvania laws you need to know in 2026

By the numbers: Pennsylvania lawmakers passed roughly 65 bills last year, ranking 2025 among their least productive years over the last decade in terms of bills passed.

• Meanwhile, the Philadelphia City Council passed roughly 240 bills — around 35 of which are still awaiting the mayor's signature. (Many of the bills relate to zoning and street changes.)

Here is some of the top legislation coming our way:

👑 CROWN Act: This Pennsylvania law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on hair texture and style, like braids, twists and afros.

• The Commonwealth becomes the 28th state in the U.S. to pass hair-protection legislation.
• The law goes into effect later this month.
• Worth noting: Philly's had its own anti-hair discrimination law on the books since 2020.

🍽️ Ban on Philly reservation scalpers: Third-party businesses would be prohibited from scooping up tables at Philadelphia restaurants and then reselling them.

• City legislators passed the bill in December after Michelin unveiled its first-ever ranks and Starred restaurants in Philly.
• Yes, but: Whether the bill will become law is TBD as it remains on Mayor Cherelle Parker's desk for her signature or veto.

🛍️ Paper bag fee: Philadelphians have begun shelling out 10 cents for each paper bag at grocery stores — a fee that businesses collect.

• City lawmakers passed the bill last year, and Mayor Cherelle Parker allowed the new law to take effect without signing the bill.
• Yes, but: Councilmember Mark Squilla, who sponsored the bill, tells Axios the law likely won't be enforced until this fall. Officials will spend the first few months of the year educating the public and grocery stores about its impact.
• Proponents say the paper bag fee will help clean up the city and reduce waste. Critics worry the extra fees could disproportionately impact low-income residents. Philly has enforced a similar plastic bag ban since 2022.

⚖️ New school mandate: Philadelphia school officials must now notify parents and guardians within 24 hours whenever a weapon is discovered at a district school.

• Before the change to Pennsylvania's public schools law, districts were only required to report those incidents to the state Department of Education.
• Philly has reported more than 1,300 weapons offenses at district schools since the 2020–21 school year, per district data analyzed by Axios' Erin Davis. That includes 24 incidents in the current academic year.
• Philly school district spokesperson Monique Braxton tells Axios that "our schools are safe havens and we strive to create safe and welcoming environments to assist all of our students, regardless of their zip codes."