The Pennsylvania Register
Every law Pennsylvania has passed
55,382 acts of the General Assembly, from William Penn’s first assembly in 1682 to 2026. Until 1874 much of the Assembly’s work was “special” legislation for a single person, company or town: a divorce, a road, a tavern license. That year’s constitution barred local and special laws on most subjects, and the yearly count fell; lately it is about 150.
Not yet complete · The state has not yet digitized its session laws act by act for most years between 1851 and 1949. We filled what we could from scans of the printed volumes: every year from 1851 to 1875 and most sessions from 1877 to 1907. A computer read those titles, so they can contain misspellings, and a few acts in each year were missed. Most years from 1909 to 1949 are still thin (marked below). Every other year is complete, from 1682 through 1850 and from 1950 to today.
2,985 laws of the 1950s
Constitution of 1874
Trademarks Registration Act - amend - registrability
Act 438 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class County Jury Selection Law - amend - authority of common pleas courts president judge to transfer or summon jurors, venire, summons
Act 439 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Child importation and placement law - amend - bond forfeiture
Act 440 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Constable and justice of the peace incompatible offices law
Act 441 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - selling or dispensing switchblade, penalty
Act 442 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - carrying deadly weapons
Act 443 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Pennsylvania Athletic Code - amend - fictitious names
Act 444 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Land acquisition and appropriation - five tracts in Borough of West Chester, Chester County, for use of West Chester State Teachers' College
Act 445 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - State employee payday
Act 446 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Local tax, fee and money refund law - amend - limitation on refunds and legal action
Act 447 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Anthracite Mine Draining Study Commission law - reenact and amend - authorizing commission to act in advisory capacity in allocating funds
Act 448 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1933 - amend - notice of meeting of church or religious group
Act 449 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - duty of Department of Health to train qualified State, county and municipal employees in public health work
Act 450 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Administative Code of 1929 - amend - Department of Health powers and duties
Act 451 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Coal mine conveyor belt regulation law
Act 452 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Anthracite coal mine reporting law - amend - reports of breakers, washeries and preparation plants
Act 453 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Bituminous mines health and safety law - amend - applicability
Act 454 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Anthracite Strip Mining Law - amend - backfilling, permit application, map filing
Act 455 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Third Class City Code - amend - release of subdivision improvement encumbrance
Act 456 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second class city government supplement law - amend - release of subdivision improvement encumbrance
Act 457 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
First Class Township Code - amend - release of subdivision improvement encumbrance
Act 458 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Borough Code - amend - release of subdivision improvement encumbrance
Act 459 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class Township Code - amend - release of subdivision improvement encumbrance
Act 460 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Miner examining board law - amend - powers and duties of examining boards in certain counties
Act 461 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Bituminous mines health and safety law - amend - inspector candidate qualifications, inspector reappointment and certification
Act 462 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Anthracite mine inspectors law - amend - inspector reappointment without examination in certain cases
Act 463 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Port of Philadelphia board of wardens law - amend - classes of license
Act 464 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class County Port Authority Act
Act 465 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Poultry technician licensure law
Act 466 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
County Code - amend - maximum appropriation for agricultural extension work
Act 467 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Junk and secondhand regulation law - amend - compliance with reporting requirements as evidence of innocence in receiving stolen goods
Act 468 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Seed potato, agricutural and vegetable seed inspection law - amend - vegetatively propagated crop plants
Act 469 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Tuberculosis sanitoria law - amend - extending provisions to persons suspected of suffering from tuberculosis
Act 470 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Waste disposal area regulation law
Act 471 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class City Firemen Relief Law - amend - withdrawal of service increment contributions
Act 472 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class City Policemen Relief Law - amend - withdrawal of service increment contibutions
Act 473 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Fifth judicial district orphans' court additional judge authorization law
Act 474 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - Advisory Board on Problems of Older Workers, Department of Labor and Industry powers and duties, appropriation
Act 475 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Germantown colonial compound study law
Act 476 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Housing and Redevelopment Assistance Law - reenact and amend - deleting provisions relating to slum clearance
Act 477 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - course of study in first aid or home nursing
Act 478 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Private personal care home or hospital regulation law - amend - for-profit private convalescent homes, maternity hospital records, license revocation or nonrenewal, operating without license, penalty
Act 479 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
State employes' retirement code of 1923 - amend - contributor classification, benefits
Act 480 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - Department of Labor and Industry annual inspection of emergency lighting, sprinkler and fire alarm systems in buildings under Commonwealth jurisdiction
Act 481 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Volunteer firemen workers' compensation law - amend - eligibility, minimum compensation
Act 482 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
First class school district temporary mercantile license tax law - amend - maximum penalty on tax not paid
Act 483 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Capitol Park extension law - amend - acquisition of property for Commonwealth Avenue-Sixth Street extension, appropriation
Act 484 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
State College Faculty Compensation Law - amend - compensation, increments, conditions of payment, appropriation
Act 485 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
State employes' retirement code of 1923 - amend - contributors who die before retirement
Act 486 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Battle of Gettysburg and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address centennial commission law
Act 487 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Pennsylvania Occupational Disease Act - amend - tuberculosis as occupational disease in occupation of nursing or auxiliary services
Act 488 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Clean Streams Law - amend - eminent domain
Act 489 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class County Code - amend - collection of data relating to deceased veterans of armed conflicts, erection of monuments to veterans of armed conflicts
Act 490 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Intra-State Tunnel Revenue Bond Act - amend - facsimile signature on bonds, financing, refunding bonds, cessation of tolls
Act 491 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Third class county employee retirement law - amend - reinstatement on return to county employment
Act 492 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Third Class City Code - amend - qualifications of members of board of health
Act 493 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Flood Control Law - amend - contracts and agreements with authorities created by statute
Act 494 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
General Assembly officers and employes law - amend - titles, salaries, additional employees, appropriations
Act 495 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - throwing material from motor vehicle
Act 496 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - protection of public and workmen during highway work
Act 497 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
State employes' retirement code of 1923 - amend - Pennsylvania Tunnel Commission employees
Act 498 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - court discretion in property forfeitures
Act 499 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955
Act 500 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Transfer Inheritance Tax Law - amend - tax rate on property transferred to lineal descendants of adopted children
Act 501 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Securities regulation law - amend - deposit of bonds of authorities
Act 502 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Revival of judgments law - amend - notice by mail, return receipt requested
Act 503 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Commodities sale law - amend - enforcement
Act 504 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
General State Authority Act of 1949 - amend - issuance of bonds for refunding purposes
Act 505 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second Class County Code - amend - retirement eligibility upon consolidation of Department of Health in second class city with Department of Health in second class county, payments to fund
Act 506 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Liquid Fuels Tax Act - amend - limited reimbursement of taxes paid on liquid fuels for farm machinery and other agricultural purposes
Act 507 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - terms of office of school directors of union and merged districts
Act 508 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - registration fees for motor bus or motor omnibus
Act 509 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
County Code - amend - compensation when salary not fixed by law
Act 510 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Superior Court establishment law - amend - jurisdiction
Act 511 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Ice cream regulation law - amend - ice milk, ice milk confections, sale of packaged ice milk, Department of Agriculture regulatory authority
Act 512 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Public land-railroad use law - amend - railroad company lessee, freight terminal facilities
Act 513 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Land acquisition - tract in Borough of Danville, Montour County, for use of Danville State Hospital
Act 514 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
State property damaged or destroyed by fire or other casualty construction and insurance fund law - amend - Department of Revenue insurance policies
Act 515 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
First class city State highway law - amend - route change and addition
Act 516 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Cigarette Tax Act - amend - declaring tax to be levy on consumer, imposing duties on dealers
Act 517 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Estate Tax Apportionment Act of 1951 - amend - charitable, public or similar gift or bequest
Act 518 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
First class school district temporary mercantile license tax law - amend - limitations on assessments and lawsuits, penalty on unpaid tax
Act 519 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Nanticoke State Hospital land acquisition law
Act 520 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Bituminous Coal Open Pit Mining Conservation Act - amend - registration, bond, amended certificate, report, jurisdiction, right of inspection, noncompliance, map, fines
Act 521 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
City of Philadelphia Fort Mifflin site acquisition law
Act 522 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Old Brown's Mill acquisition by gift law
Act 523 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Cities classification law - amend - repealing provisions relating to publishing list of delinquent taxpayers in first class cities
Act 524 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Public Assistance Law - amend - financial assistance for nursing home care, appropriation
Act 525 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Second and fourth class county fire training school law - amend - including third, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth class counties, limitation on expenditures
Act 526 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Public School Employes' Retirement Law - amend - classification of certain disability annuitants
Act 527 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Vehicle code of 1929 - amend - required lighting equipment, penalty
Act 528 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
County Code - amend - salaries
Act 529 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Land acquisition - tract in Newport Township, Luzerne County, for use of Retreat State Hospital
Act 530 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Borough Code - amend - tax levy
Act 531 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Interpleader Compact Law
Act 532 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - sales on credit by railroad or pullman companies having authorized credit cards issued by railroad or railroad credit bureaus
Act 533 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Pennsylvania Turnpike Philadelphia Loop Extension Act
Act 534 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Joint State Government Commission establishment law - amend - membership, chairman, executive committee, standing committees of General Assembly
Act 535 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Motor License Fund-General Fund loan and transfer law
Act 536 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority Act
Act 537 of 1955 · 1955 · Original text
By decade
Constitution of 18741874–1967
Constitution of 17761776–1789
- 1780s 567
1682–1801: the Statutes at Large of Pennsylvania. 1802–1974: the Pamphlet Laws (Laws of the General Assembly). Both from the scans published by the Pennsylvania Legislative Reference Bureau, which link to each original page. 1975 onward: the General Assembly’s own record of legislation enacted, which adds approval dates and bill numbers. Years the Bureau hasn’t indexed act by act come from the annual Laws of the General Assembly as scanned by the Internet Archive and Google Books: we split each volume into acts by their approval lines, and each one links to its scanned page. Before 1975 each year’s appropriation acts were scanned as one bundle, so they aren’t listed one by one. Proposed constitutional amendments, vetoed bills and reorganization plans are left out. Subject lines are the Bureau’s and the General Assembly’s, not the laws’ full titles.