LANCASTER COUNTY – The PA Senate is being urged by Lancaster County Sen. James Malone and some local municipal leaders to return to session immediately to pass data center moratorium legislation. With data center proposals emerging rapidly across the state and region, Malone emphasized the need for municipalities to have time to update their zoning laws and ordinances to protect their communities. Currently, two bipartisan bills are under consideration in the Senate that would give municipalities the power to enact temporary moratoriums on data center development while they update local zoning rules and ordinances: House Bill 2496 would give municipalities the ability to impose an 180-day moratorium on data center development. Senate Bill 1345 would give municipalities the option for an 18-month moratorium. Malone recently joined Republican and Democrat colleagues to advance both bills out of the Senate Local Government Committee. They now await consideration by the full Senate, which is not scheduled to meet again until September 28.
