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
Penal Code - amend - free insurance as inducement for purchases
Act 708 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - State Board of Public Welfare, Department of Public Welfare advisory committees, child welfare program reimbursement, transfer of powers from State Council for the Blind to Department of Public Welfare
Act 709 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Institutions regulation law - amend - abolishing advisory committee on standards, functions transfer to State Board of Public Welfare
Act 710 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Adoption law of 1925 - amend - abolishing advisory committee on adoption standards
Act 711 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - deleting provisions relating to approval of State Board of Public Assistance
Act 712 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Department of Public Welfare revolving fund law - amend - functions transfer from State Council for the Blind to Department of Public Welfare
Act 713 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Tuscarora Academy acquisition and restoration law
Act 714 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - county board of school directors expensing, appropriation
Act 715 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Borough Code - amend - sale of electric light works
Act 716 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Juvenile Court Judges Commission law
Act 717 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Nineteenth judicial district additional law judge law
Act 718 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Brigadier General, Retired, commissioning law
Act 719 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - commercial motor vehicle warning when moving backward or about to move backward
Act 720 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - Oil and Gas Inspectors Examining Board added to Department of Mines and Mineral Industries
Act 721 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Oil and Gas Inspectors Examining Board law
Act 722 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Juror and witness compensation and mileage law - amend - juror mileage
Act 723 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Uniform witness compensation law - amend - witness mileage
Act 724 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Sanitorium acquisition by gift law - amend - treatment of persons suspected of being affected with tuberculosis
Act 725 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - project approval, semiannual payments
Act 726 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - pupil transportation to additional school districts
Act 727 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Pennsylvania Harness Racing Law
Act 728 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Mining safety zone establishment law
Act 729 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
General State Authority Act of 1949 - amend - powers, borrowing capacity
Act 730 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Liquid Fuels Tax Municipal Allocation Law - amend - conditional appropriation
Act 731 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Recorder of Deeds Uniform Fee Law - amend - changing fees, adding fees
Act 732 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Boiler Regulation Law - amend - inspection exemption, fee for field inspection of boiler or unfired pressure vessel
Act 733 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Infant boarding house law - amend - boarding houses for infants
Act 734 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Boarding houses for children regulation law - amend - redefining boarding houses for children
Act 735 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Game Law - amend - trapping by nonresident
Act 736 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public sale - Commonwealth property in West Chillisquaqua Township, Northumberland County
Act 737 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Military flight strip and road planning agreement law - amend - payment of property damages
Act 738 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Eighth class county officer compensation law - amend - compensation of auditors
Act 739 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Municipal Borrowing Law - amend - removing and changing limitations relating to certain capital expenditures, validation of certain prior transactions
Act 740 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Beauty Culture Law - amend - biennial registration, fees
Act 741 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - school or department closing prohibited during school term, attendance excuse
Act 742 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Liquid Fuels Tax Act - amend - limited reduction in tax on jet fuels
Act 743 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Second Class County Code - amend - reinstatement and previous service credit upon reemployment
Act 744 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Municipal Claim and Tax Lien Law - amend - suggestion and averment of nonpayment and default, time of filing and renewal
Act 745 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Fuel Use Tax Act - amend - clarifying aircraft types, certain limited tax decrease
Act 746 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Pennsylvania Workmen's Compensation Act - amend - period of limitations, appropriation
Act 747 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Selective Sales and Use Tax Act - amend - noncarbonated fruit drinks, hotel occupancy tax, penalties, savings clauses
Act 748 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public employee strike law - amend - duties of Governor, duties of State agency or political subdivision
Act 749 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Divorce Law - amend - scope of divorce, annulment proceedings, domestic relations divisions
Act 750 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Insurance Company Law of 1921 - amend - use of name
Act 751 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Third class city optional retirement system law - amend - inclusion of military time in definition of years of service
Act 752 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - contruction contracts
Act 753 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - prohibiting reduction of larceny charge to shoplifting charge
Act 754 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Conveyance - Commonwealth property in Reed Township, Dauphin County
Act 755 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - limitations on size of certain vehicles
Act 756 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - special permits for operation or movement of oversize self-propelled farm machinery, fees
Act 757 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Local Tax Collection Law - amend - inclusion of tax penalties and interest in definition of taxes
Act 758 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
First Class School District Business Tax Act - amend - excluding certain wholesale dealers in tobacco and tobacco products from definition of receipts, retroactivity relating to receipts by wholesale dealers in tobacco and tobacco products
Act 759 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
State Tax Equalization Board Law - amend - eliminating provision making board decision final, written finding of fact, biennial certification of market values in odd years, appeals, certification
Act 760 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Employes' Retirement Code of 1959 - amend - technical changes, clarifying language
Act 761 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - homebound instruction of children in detention homes
Act 762 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - throwing or dumping material from vehicle or tractor
Act 763 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
State Highway Law - amend - trash and litter receptacle maintenance
Act 764 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Realty Transfer Tax Act - amend - document further defined
Act 765 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
State Employes' Retirement Code of 1959 - amend - United States Government service credit
Act 766 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - State budget, State Veterans' Commission duties relating to service connected disabilities
Act 767 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Pennsylvania Election Code - amend - residence of electors
Act 768 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Game Law - amend - out-of-state transportation of lawfully taken game by resident licensed hunter on active military duty
Act 769 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Penal Code - amend - pawnbrokers dealing with minors
Act 770 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - formation of union school districts, payments to school districts
Act 771 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Fifteenth judicial district additional law judge law
Act 772 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Water supplier suspending service for nonpayment law - amend - shutoff by municipality as authority lessee, written notice
Act 773 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Limited Life Insurance Company recapitalization law
Act 774 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Seventh and thirty-first judicial districts additional law judges law
Act 775 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
City State Highway Law - amend - changes, deletions, additions
Act 776 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Washington and Fayette Counties State highway toll bridge law - amend - William J. Lane-Eustice H. Bane Bridge designation
Act 777 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
County Institution District Law - amend - duties of local authorities relating to neglected children
Act 778 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Public School Code of 1949 - amend - investments, use of State School Fund appropriation, appropriation, payments
Act 779 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - yield right-of-way, yield intersections, penalty
Act 780 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Liquor Code - amend - Sunday sales in hotels in first class cities and second class cities, ballot question
Act 781 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Township State Highway Law - amend - changes, deletions or additions
Act 782 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
State highway establishment law - amend - changes, deletions or additions
Act 783 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Acquisition - authority and appropriation for certain surface or right of soil in Dunmore Borough, Lackawanna County for use by Department of Revenue
Act 784 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Official court stenographer law - amend - giving of copies of notes of testimony in criminal cases
Act 785 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Vehicle Code - amend - prohibition on speed contests and drag races
Act 786 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Air Pollution Control Act
Act 787 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Administrative Code of 1929 - amend - changing name of State Teachers' Colleges
Act 788 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Pennsylvania Election Code - amend - absentee voting
Act 789 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Pennsylvania Election Code - amend - ballot marking, ballot counting
Act 790 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Statutory Construction Act - amend - effective date of certain laws
Act 791 of 1959 · 1959 · Original text
Appropriation Law 38A (General Appropriation Act of 1959)
Appropriation Act of 1959 · 1959 · 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.