New hiring laws in Pennsylvania for 2027: the CROWN Act, Philadelphia's fair chance limits, a statewide electrician license and licensure compacts

As of October 2026, Pennsylvania's hiring changes for 2026 and 2027 come from four places. The state's CROWN Act (Act 54 of 2025) has protected hair texture, protective hairstyles and religious head coverings under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act since January 2026. Philadelphia's amended fair chance law, effective January 6, 2026, limits employers to felonies within seven years and misdemeanors within four. Pennsylvania joined four licensure compacts in 2026, and Act 108 of 2026 creates a statewide electrician license that becomes mandatory two years after its October 22, 2026 enactment.

Pennsylvania did not change its minimum wage, add a pay range or salary history law, or license staffing agencies in 2025 or 2026. Each item below links the act on the General Assembly's site or the city's own notice. The standing checklist for hiring in the state is in our Pennsylvania hiring hub; this page is the dated list of what is new.

Which Pennsylvania hiring laws changed in 2026, and what changes in 2027?

What does Pennsylvania's CROWN Act mean for interviews and dress codes?

Act 54 of 2025 adds to the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act that "the term 'race' includes traits historically associated with the individual's race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles," defined to include "locs, braids, twists, coils, Bantu knots, afros and extensions," and that "religious creed" includes head coverings and hairstyles historically associated with religious creeds. An employer may still enforce a health and safety rule or a bona fide occupational qualification that affects these traits only if it shows that without the rule the health or safety of an employee or another materially connected person may be impaired, and that the rule is adopted for nondiscriminatory reasons, specifically tailored to the position and applied equally.

For hiring, that means interview feedback such as "not polished" or "unprofessional hair" is a risk, appearance standards in job postings and offer letters need a job-related basis, and interviewers should score answers, not appearance. A structured scorecard with written evidence for each rating is the simplest protection; see illegal interview questions for the related question list.

What changed in Philadelphia's fair chance hiring law?

The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations' summary of the amendments, "Enacted: October 8, 2025" and "Effective: January 6, 2026," lists the changes:

• the notice of intent to run a background check must say the check will include an individualized assessment based on the specific record, job duties and job requirements;
• only felony convictions within seven years and misdemeanor convictions within four years of conviction or release, whichever is later, may be considered, and summary offenses may not;
• the employer must consider evidence of rehabilitation and be able to show the city why a person would be an "unacceptable risk";
• adverse action within 90 days of someone using their rights may be presumed retaliatory;
• before an adverse decision the employer must give, in writing, notice of rights, the basis for the decision with a copy of the record and documents used, what evidence of errors or rehabilitation it will consider, how to respond, and 10 days to do so.

These are city law and are untouched by the federal EEOC's rescission of its 2012 arrest and conviction records guidance on October 28, 2026 (EEOC release). Statewide record rules, including CHRIA and Clean Slate, are covered in Pennsylvania background check laws.

When will Pennsylvania electricians need a state license?

On October 22, 2026, SB 1260 became Act 108 of 2026, the Electrical Services Licensure Act. Its effective date section says sections 501, 505 and 702 "shall take effect in two years," the effective date section itself immediately, and "the remainder of this act shall take effect in 60 days." The board must adopt regulations within 18 months. Once section 501 is in force, "an individual may not provide electrical services for monetary compensation" unless licensed as a licensed electrician or licensed residential electrician, and a business may not "employ an individual to provide electrical services or direct an individual to provide electrical services unless the person is licensed." State licensure must be accepted by municipalities, and local rules on electricians' "qualifications, fitness and competence" are preempted, though local permits and inspections remain.

For recruiters, the practical step is to start asking electrician candidates now about their hours, experience and any municipal license, so you know who can qualify once the board opens applications, and to add the state license to electrician job descriptions before the requirement starts.

Which licensure compacts did Pennsylvania join in 2026?

Four: occupational therapy (Act 28, effective July 20, 2026), cosmetology (Act 43, July 20, 2026), counseling (Act 23, 60 days after July 12, 2026) and physician assistants (Act 76, October 22, 2026). Each compact's commission decides when privileges to practice are actually issued, so check the compact's own site before telling an out-of-state candidate that they can start without a Pennsylvania license. Health care and salon staffing firms gain the most.

What did not change in Pennsylvania in 2026?

• Minimum wage, pay ranges and salary history. None of the 2025 or 2026 acts changes the minimum wage or requires pay ranges or bans salary history questions statewide.
• Staffing agencies still need no state license; see Pennsylvania staffing agency rules.
• Recording interviews still needs the consent of everyone on the call; see Pennsylvania recording consent for interviews.
• E-Verify rules are unchanged; see E-Verify requirements in Pennsylvania.

Which federal changes apply to Pennsylvania employers?

• Form I-9: the USCIS page lists the 01/20/25 edition as current and allows the 08/01/23 edition expiring 05/31/2027 until then; electronic systems had to update by 07/31/2026.
• EADs: DHS's final rule at 91 FR 65306, effective October 14, 2026, ends automatic extensions for certain renewal applicants.

What should Pennsylvania employers and staffing agencies do before January 1, 2027?

1. Review dress and grooming standards and interview guides for the CROWN Act, and remove appearance comments from scorecards.
2. Rewrite Philadelphia background check notices and adjudication steps for the lookback limits, rehabilitation evidence and the 10-day response window.
3. Flag electrician roles for the coming state license and track candidates' qualifications.
4. Use the new compacts when sourcing counselors, occupational therapists, cosmetologists and physician assistants, after checking each commission's start date.
5. Agencies placing IT contractors with state agencies should expect the new background checks for access to federal tax information from December 2026. Other states' changes are in new hiring laws for 2027.