# Pennsylvania HB 797: An Act amending the act of May 25, 1933 (P.L.1050, No.242), referred to as the Second Class City Firemen Relief Law, further providing for requirements of membership, for married persons and pensions . . .to surviving spouses and for eligibility of surviving spouses. Pennsylvania HB 797, An Act amending the act of May 25, 1933 (P.L.1050, No.242), referred to as the Second Class City Firemen Relief Law, further providing for requirements of membership, for married persons and pensions . . .to surviving spouses and for eligibility of surviving spouses., is a 2025-2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jessica Benham (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-05-06 (Act No. 11 of 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB797-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Pennsylvania HB 797 - State: Pennsylvania - Session: 2025-2026 Regular Session - Title: An Act amending the act of May 25, 1933 (P.L.1050, No.242), referred to as the Second Class City Firemen Relief Law, further providing for requirements of membership, for married persons and pensions . . .to surviving spouses and for eligibility of surviving spouses. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-03-03 - Last action: 2026-05-06, Act No. 11 of 2026 - Sponsor: Jessica Benham (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 25 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (277 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Firefighters’ surviving spouses keep pensions after remarriage: benefit, high. Eligible surviving spouses of Pennsylvania second class city firemen relief fund members keep their pensions after remarriage. Payments start on the first day of the month the member dies and generally continue until the surviving spouse dies. For duty-related deaths, a widow’s existing payment lim… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Jessica Benham (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Abigail Salisbury (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Aerion Abney (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Benjamin V. Sanchez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Brenda M. Pugh (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carol Hill-Evans (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Chris Pielli (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Dan Frankel (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Daniel J. Deasy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Danielle Friel Otten (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Dave Madsen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Emily Kinkead (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: G. Roni Green (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jeanne McNeill (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jeremy Shaffer (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joe Webster (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jose Giral (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Keith S. Harris (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: La'Tasha D. Mayes (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lisa A. Borowski (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Malcolm Kenyatta (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mandy Steele (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Melissa Cerrato (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Patrick J. Harkins (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tarik Khan (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tina M. Davis (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-06-24 | committee | 11 0 | pass | 11 | 0 | | | 2025-04-22 | House | House Bill 797 PN0821, FINAL PASSAGE | pass | 203 | 0 | | | 2025-04-22 | committee | 37 0 | pass | 37 | 0 | | | 2025-03-19 | committee | 26 0 | pass | 26 | 0 | | ## Actions (21) - 2026-05-06: Act No. 11 of 2026 (Governor) - 2026-05-06: Approved by the Governor (Governor) - 2026-05-05: Presented to the Governor (Senate) - 2026-05-04: Signed in Senate (Senate) - 2026-04-27: Signed in House (Senate) - 2026-04-21: Third consideration and final passage (48-0) (Senate) - 2026-04-20: Re-reported as committed (Senate) - 2025-06-25: Re-referred to Appropriations (Senate) - 2025-06-25: Second consideration (Senate) - 2025-06-24: First consideration (Senate) - 2025-06-24: Reported as committed (Senate) - 2025-04-28: Referred to Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness (Senate) - 2025-04-22: Third consideration and final passage (203-0) (House) - 2025-04-22: Re-reported as committed (House) - 2025-04-09: Re-committed to Appropriations (House) - 2025-04-09: Second consideration (House) - 2025-04-08: Removed from table (House) - 2025-03-19: Laid on the table (House) - 2025-03-19: First consideration (House) - 2025-03-19: Reported as committed (House) - 2025-03-03: Referred to Local Government (House) ## Bill text - PN 821, 2025-03-03: [HTML](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/HTM/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821), [PDF](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/DOC/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821), [PDF](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821) ## Related bills - HB 2545: An Act providing for insurance coverage for vaginal estrogen for the treatment of menopausal symptoms and urinary tract infections. (passed house) - HB 1827: An Act providing for medical assistance coverage and insurance coverage of screening, prevention and treatment measures for osteoporosis as a result of menopau… (passed house) - HB 2826: An Act amending Title 40 (Insurance) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, providing for firefighter cancer screening and for firefighter cancer screening… (passed house) - HB 2023: An Act amending the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, in recovery of possession, further providing for hearin… (passed house) - HB 1345: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Services Code, in public assistance, providing for medical assistance coverage for… (passed house) - HB 1346: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insurance Company Law of 1921, in casualty insurance, providing for menopause treatment… (passed house) ## Sources - [PN 821 (HTML)](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/HTM/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821) - [PN 821 (PDF)](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/DOC/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821) - [PN 821 (PDF)](https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/text/PDF/2025/0/HB0797/PN0821) ## Related - [HB 2545: An Act providing for insurance coverage for vaginal estrogen for the treatment…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB2545-2025-2026) - [HB 1827: An Act providing for medical assistance coverage and insurance coverage of scre…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB1827-2025-2026) - [HB 2826: An Act amending Title 40 (Insurance) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes,…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB2826-2025-2026) - [HB 2023: An Act amending the act of April 6, 1951 (P.L.69, No.20), known as The Landlord…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB2023-2025-2026) - [HB 1345: An Act amending the act of June 13, 1967 (P.L.31, No.21), known as the Human Se…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB1345-2025-2026) - [HB 1346: An Act amending the act of May 17, 1921 (P.L.682, No.284), known as The Insuran…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB1346-2025-2026) - [Pennsylvania bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/pennsylvania/bills) - [Pennsylvania state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/pennsylvania) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/PA-HB797-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-17).