Pennsylvania House Passes Bill 122-81 to Pause Evictions During Extreme Weather
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 122-81 in Harrisburg, the state capital in Dauphin County, on October 19 to pass H.B. 2023, a bill that would pause the execution of eviction orders during extreme weather. The bill, introduced by state Rep. Greg Scott, a Democrat from Montgomery County, now goes to the state Senate.
The bill would require a judge to halt the execution of an eviction order on a day-to-day basis when life-threatening weather is forecast, including below-freezing temperatures, winter storm or blizzard warnings, excessive heat warnings, and hurricane or tropical storm warnings. Execution of the order would resume within a defined period after the weather emergency ends. The bill was approved by the House Housing and Community Development Committee in February.
"Landlords absolutely have the right to evict tenants who fail to pay," Scott said. "What this bill does is ask us to approach eviction with an element of humanity. Families failing to pay their rent are already struggling and may not have a safe place to go during deadly weather." The protections would apply to people enrolled in assistance programs with income and sometimes work requirements, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：宾夕法尼亚州议会大厦，哈里斯堡（资料图）。照片：Wikimedia Commons（CC BY-SA 4.0）。Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg (file photo). Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
