A guide to the gatekeepers: Here's who’s running the most powerful committees in Harrisburg

The leaders of state legislative committees have the power to determine whether a bill ultimately makes it to the governor’s desk or languishes in committee until the end of the term. And while rule changes in one chamber will limit the ability of committee chairs to prevent votes on certain bills, committee leaders still hold considerable sway as the gatekeepers standing between a bill and a vote. 

Out of the 50 legislative committees in the General Assembly, 41 of them have new majority chairs this year. The shakeup, caused by a combination of lawmaker turnover and a power shift in the state House, has left many committees looking much different than they did last session.

To help you keep tabs on all the changes, City & State has put together a list tracking all the standing committee chairs in Harrisburg. 

Committees in the House of Representatives

Aging & Older Adult Services

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Patty Kim

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Steven Mentzer

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Gary Day

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Dan Moul

Previous majority chair: Moul 

Appropriations

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Jordan Harris

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Seth Grove

Previous majority chair: Former State Rep. Stan Saylor 

Children & Youth

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Donna Bullock

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Barry Jozwiak

Previous majority chair: Republican state Rep. Sheryl Delozier

Commerce

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. John Galloway

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Joe Emrick

Previous majority chair: Republican state Rep. Brad Roae

Committee on Committees

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Carol Hill Evans

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Tina Pickett

Previous majority chair: Saylor

Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities*

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Robert Matzie

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Jim Marshall

Previous majority chair: Marshall

** The committee was known as the House Consumer Affairs Committee last session.

Education

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Peter Schweyer

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Jesse Topper

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Curt Sonney

Environmental Resources & Energy

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Greg Vitali

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Martin Causer

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe

Ethics*

Chair: Democratic state Rep. Donna Bullock

Vice chair: Republican state Rep. Kate Klunk

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Todd Stephens

** The House Ethics Committee has an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.

Finance

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Steve Samuelson

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Keith Greiner

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Michael Peifer

Game & Fisheries

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Anita Astorino Kulik

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. David Maloney

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Keith Gillespie

Gaming Oversight

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Patrick Harkins

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Russ Diamond

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Susan Helm

Government Oversight

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Morgan Cephas

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Aaron Kaufer

Previous majority chair: Republican state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

Health

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Dan Frankel

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Kathy Rapp

Previous majority chair: Rapp

Housing & Community Development*

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Mike Sturla

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Rich Irvin

Previous majority chair: Former state Rep. and current Republican state Sen. Rosemary Brown

** This was known as the House Urban Affairs Committee last session. And Brown won an election to the 40th state Senate District in November 2022. 

Human Services

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Stephen Kinsey

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Doyle Heffley

Previous majority chair: Former state Rep. and current Republican state Sen. Frank Farry*

** Farry won an election to the 6th state Senate District in November 2022.

Insurance

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Kevin Boyle

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Tina Pickett

Previous majority chair: Pickett 

Judiciary

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Tim Briggs

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Rob Kauffman

Previous majority chair: Kauffman 

Labor & Industry

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Jason Dawkins

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Jim Cox

Liquor Control

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Dan Deasy

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Mindy Fee

Previous majority chair: Republican state Rep. Carl Walker Matzgar

Local Government

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Robert Freeman

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Lee James

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Jerry Knowles 

Professional Licensure

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Frank Burns

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Carl Walker Metzgar

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. David Hickernell

Rules

Majority chair: House Democratic Leader Matt Bradford

Minority chair: House Republican Leader Bryan Cutler

Previous majority chair: former House Republican leader and current state Rep. Kerry Benninghoff

State Government

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Scott Conklin

Minority chair: Roae

Previous majority chair: Grove

Tourism & Recreational Development

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Mary Jo Daley

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Donna Oberlander

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. David Millard

Transportation

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Ed Neilson

Minority chair: Benninghoff

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Tim Hennessey

Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness

Majority chair: Democratic state Rep. Jared Solomon

Minority chair: Republican state Rep. Mark Gillen

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Rep. Karen Boback

Committees in the Senate

Aging & Youth

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Judy Ward

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Maria Collett

Previous majority chair: Judy Ward

Agriculture & Rural Affairs

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Elder Vogel

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Judy Schwank

Previous majority chair: Vogel 

Appropriations

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Scott Martin

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Vincent Hughes

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Sen. and current Acting Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne

Banking & Insurance

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. John DiSanto

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Sharif Street

Previous majority chair: DiSanto 

Communications & Technology

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Jimmy Dillon

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill

Community, Economic & Recreational Development

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Chris Gebhard

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Anthony H. Williams

Previous majority chair: Former independent state Sen. John Yudichak

Consumer Protection & Professional Licensure

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Patrick Stefano

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Lisa Boscola

Previous majority chair: Former Republican state Sen. Robert “Tommy” Tomlinson

Education

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. David Argall

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Lindsey Williams

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Scott Martin

Environmental Resources & Energy

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Gene Yaw

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Carolyn Comitta

Previous majority chair: Yaw 

Finance

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Scott Hutchinson

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Nick Miller

Previous majority chair: Hutchinson 

Game & Fisheries

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Greg Rothman

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Dan Laughlin

Health & Human Services

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Michele Brooks

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Art Haywood

Previous majority chair: Brooks

Intergovernmental Operations

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Jarrett Coleman

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Christine Tartaglione

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Cris Dush

Judiciary

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Lisa Baker

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Steve Santarsiero

Previous majority chair: Baker 

Labor & Industry

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Devlin Robinson

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. John Kane

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Camera Bartolotta

Law & Justice

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Mike Regan

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Jim Brewster

Previous majority chair: Regan 

Local Government

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Rosemary Brown

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Tim Kearney

Previous majority chair: Dush

Rules & Executive Nominations

Majority chair: Senate Republican Leader Joe Pittman

Minority chair: Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa

Previous majority chair: Former Senate Majority Leader and current Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward

State Government

Majority chair: Dush

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Amanda Cappelletti

Previous majority chair: Argall

Transportation

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Wayne Langerholc

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Marty Flynn

Previous majority chair: Langerholc 

Urban Affairs & Housing

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Frank Farry

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Nikil Saval

Previous majority chair: Pittman

Veterans Affairs & Emergency Preparedness

Majority chair: Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano

Minority chair: Democratic state Sen. Katie Muth

Previous majority chair: Republican state Sen. Patrick Stefano