Shapiro Admin Cuts Red Tape, Repeals Outdated Regulations | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Harrisburg, PA - As part of Governor Josh Shapiro's commitment to make government more effective and efficient, his Administration has repealed or modernized 10 outdated regulations that no longer reflect current law, technology, or practice - cutting unnecessary red tape, making requirements clearer, and ensuring state government can work better and faster for Pennsylvanians. The Shapiro Administration is working to implement the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC)'s recommendations, including significant updates to outdated regulations at the departments of Aging and Health, and further updates at the departments of Corrections and Labor & Industry.

These actions build on the Shapiro Administration's broader push to streamline permitting and licensing, eliminate backlogs, and reduce bureaucratic hurdles - all while maintaining strong protections for workers, consumers, and communities across the Commonwealth. These reforms follow the bipartisan recommendations of the IRRC and advance the full scope of regulatory changes outlined in the Commission's report last fall, as the Shapiro Administration continues implementing every recommendation in the report.

"Government should work to make people's lives easier, not harder," said Governor Shapiro. "My Administration is making sure that's the case by cutting outdated rules that no longer make sense, updating regulations to reflect today's laws and technology, and focusing on what actually helps Pennsylvanians. Good government is about common sense, efficiency, and respect for taxpayers' time and money. My Administration is cutting what doesn't work, fixing what's outdated, and delivering real results for the people of Pennsylvania."

Several of the repealed or updated regulations had remained on the books long after the laws behind them had changed - creating confusion, duplicative requirements, or unnecessary paperwork with little real-world benefit, including:

• Updating notary regulations to reflect current law and technology: The Department of State (DOS) completed a major overhaul of notary regulations to align with laws already passed by the General Assembly - including provisions allowing electronic and remote notarization. This ensures clearer rules for the Commonwealth's 75,000 notaries and reflects how Pennsylvanians actually conduct business today. (4 Pa. Code Chapters 161, 163 and 167)

• Eliminating construction and accessibility rules that were already superseded by state law: The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) repealed multiple chapters related to lighting, energy conservation, and accessibility standards that had already been replaced by the Pennsylvania Construction Code Act and the Uniform Construction Code. Removing these obsolete rules reduces confusion for builders, contractors, and local governments by eliminating duplicate and unnecessary regulations. (34 Pa. Code Chapter 31, Subchapter C; 34 Pa. Code Chapter 38; 34 Pa. Code Chapter 47, Subchapter D; 34 Pa. Code Chapter 60; 34 Pa. Code Chapter 27; 34 Pa. Code Chapter 47)

• Rescinding regulations tied to laws that no longer exist: The Department of Corrections (DOC)repealed outdated prerelease program regulations after the statute authorizing them was repealed by the legislature more than a decade ago - formally cleaning up rules that had no legal effect. (37 Pa. Code Chapter 94)

• Removing regulations where authority had long since shifted to another agency: L&I repealed decades-old rules governing blasting, demolition, fireworks, and explosives after confirming the authority had transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection in the early 1980s. (34 Pa. Code Chapter 5)

• Updating campaign finance rules to reflect modern technology: DOS eliminated references to filing campaign finance reports on floppy disks, formally aligning regulations with the existing online filing system and reducing outdated paperwork requirements. Floppy disks have not been commonly used for nearly 20 years. (4 Pa. Code Chapter 177)

In several cases, repealing regulations reduced clutter in the Pennsylvania Code without changing day-to-day requirements - because the rules were already obsolete, preempted by federal law, or replaced by statute. Where federal workplace safety rules apply, the Shapiro Administration clarified how state regulations interact with Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards to avoid confusion while preserving protections if federal rules ever change.

Together, these reforms mean fewer outdated rules on the books, clearer guidance for workers, businesses, and local governments, and less paperwork and administrative burden - resulting in a government that reflects how Pennsylvanians actually live and work today.

The Shapiro Administration is working to update further regulations across Commonwealth agencies to ensure they reflect modern technology, current law, and the way Pennsylvanians live and work today.

This action aligns with Governor Shapiro's broader efforts to make government work for Pennsylvanians by streamlining permitting, increasing transparency, and delivering faster, more predictable government services across the Commonwealth.