E-scooter bill passed the House 176-27. On Monday it landed in the Senate committee where a similar bill has sat for a year

E-scooters are currently illegal in Pennsylvania. A bill to change that passed the state House last week, WITF reported, and on Monday the Senate sent it to its Transportation Committee, according to the bill's history.

For families, the bill sets rules where there are none: who can ride, how fast and where. For cities like Pittsburgh, it would decide whether rental scooter programs can come back.

What the bill would do

According to WITF, House Bill 1633 would:

• set a minimum rider age of 16 and require helmets for riders under 18;
• cap scooter speed at 25 mph and aim to keep riders off sidewalks;
• let Pittsburgh, Scranton and more than 50 other cities choose to create shared e-scooter programs;
• set a $10 fine for violations, while letting towns adopt higher penalties;
• require sellers to tell buyers about the law, with fines of up to $1,000 for vendors that don't; and
• have PennDOT produce education materials and help local police enforce the rules.

The sponsor, Rep. Emily Kinkead, an Allegheny County Democrat, introduced it after Pittsburgh's pilot scooter program expired, WITF reported. She said it "puts reasonable restrictions on private e-scooters." Rep. Jennifer O'Mara, a Democrat, added restrictions for young riders after a child riding an e-scooter was killed by a car in Aston Township, according to WITF.

What the records add

Sixteen months in committee, then fast. The bill was referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 23, 2025, and was reported out on Oct. 5, 2026, 469 days later. The committee voted 26-0 to send it to the floor. Fifteen days later it passed the House.

Sponsors. All 10 co-sponsors listed on the bill page are Democrats.

How the House voted. The final vote on Oct. 20 was 176-27. All 103 Democrats voted yes. Republicans voted 73-27. The 27 no votes included Reps. Marc Anderson, Aaron Bernstine, Stephanie Borowicz, Joe Hamm, Natalie Mihalek, Leslie Rossi, Jamie Walsh and David Zimmerman. A floor amendment adopted on Oct. 19 passed 197-6.

The Senate's own bill hasn't moved. A Senate e-scooter safety bill, Senate Bill 1008 from Sen. Timothy Kearney, a Delaware County Democrat, was referred to the same Senate Transportation Committee on Sept. 30, 2025. It has had no action in the 391 days since, according to its history. Its co-sponsors include Republican Sen. Joe Picozzi.

What happens next

To become law this year, HB 1633 would need a Senate Transportation Committee vote, Senate floor votes and the governor's signature before the session ends Nov. 30. The Senate calendar lists two voting days left, Nov. 17 and 18. If the Senate changes the bill, the House would have to vote again, and the House's last scheduled voting days are Nov. 9 and 10.

If it doesn't pass, it dies with the session and would need to be reintroduced in January.