New Sunshine Act Rules Limit Last-Minute Business

Senate Bill 1150 (Amendment to Sunshine Act) was likewise signed on October 22, 2026 and takes effect December 21, 2026. The amendment to 65 Pa.C.S. § 712.1 eliminates the previously recognized ability to add any matter through the subsection (e) majority-vote procedure. A township may now add business during a meeting only when the matter itself falls within one of the statutory exceptions in subsections (b) [real or potential emergency involving a clear and present danger to life or property], (c) [matters arising within 24 hour sof a meeting that are de minimis in nature and do not involve the expenditure of money], or (d) [resident or taxpayer brings a matter of agency business that is not listed on the meeting agenda to the attention of the agency, the agency may take official action to refer the matter to staff, if applicable, for the purpose of researching the matter for inclusion on the agenda of a future meeting or, if the matter is de minimis in nature and does not involve the expenditure of funds or entering into a contract or agreement, the agency may take official action on the matter].  Any addition to the agenda must be approved by a majority of the members present and voting, with the reason announced before the vote to amend the agenda; after the vote, the township may act on the added matter and must post the amended agenda by the first business day after the meeting on its publicly accessible website, if available, and at its principal office.  The result of this new legislation will be that changes to agendas will now be very strictly limited and will almost never be allowed for any expenditure of money.