Pennsylvania Chamber Of Business & Industry

THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAMBER OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IS THE LARGEST BROAD-BASED BUSINESS ASSOCIATION IN PENNSYLVANIA. THOUSANDS OF MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH EMPLOY GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT OF PENNSYLVANIA'S PRIVATE WORKFORCE. HEADQUARTERED IN HARRISBURG, THE PA CHAMBER SERVES AS THE FRONTLINE ADVOCATE FOR BUSINESS ON CAPITOL HILL BY INFLUENCING THE LEGISLATIVE, REGULATORY, AND JUDICIAL BRANCHES OF STATE GOVERNMENT. THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAMBER OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY IS DEDICATED TO HELPING ITS MEMBERS UNDERSTAND AND EASILY FOLLOW THE COMPLEXITIES OF STATE AND FEDERAL WORKPLACE REGULATIONS. SERVICES INCLUDE CONFERENCES AND PUBLICATIONS ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES IMPORTANT TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. OUR MISSION IS TO ACT AS THE "STATEWIDE VOICE OF BUSINESSTM AND ARTICULATE AND ADVOCATE ON THOSE PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES THAT WILL EXPAND PRIVATE SECTOR JOB CREATION AND LEAD TO A MORE PROSPEROUS PENNSYLVANIA FOR ALL ITS CITIZENS.

THE PA CHAMBER SERVES AS THE FRONTLINE ADVOCATE FOR BUSINESS IN PENNSYLVANIA. OUR HIGHLY VISIBLE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM TAKES ACTION TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY AT THE STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL AND WORKS TO ENSURE THAT THE CONCERNS OF OUR MEMBERS ARE BEING HEARD BY ELECTED OFFICIALS. THROUGH LOBBYING, TESTIFYING AND SUBMITTING COMMENTS TO STANDING LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES, DEVELOPING KEY RELATIONSHIPS, ENGAGING IN GRASSROOTS ACTIVITIES, AND TRACKING BILLS AND REGULATIONS, THE PA CHAMBER PROMOTES PRO-BUSINESS LEGISLATION AND FIGHTS ANTI-BUSINESS LEGISLATION WITH ONE GOAL IN MIND: IMPROVING THE BUSINESS CLIMATE AND CREATING A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR EVERY PENNSYLVANIAN. LEGISLATIVE VICTORIES ON BEHALF OF OUR MEMBERSEVERY DAY, THE PA CHAMBER WORKS TO IMPROVE THE COMMONWEALTH'S BUSINESS CLIMATE AND MAKE THE STATE A MORE HOSPITABLE PLACE FOR JOB CREATORS TO THRIVE. THAT INCLUDES ADVOCATING FOR PRO-GROWTH POLICIES THAT WILL REDUCE BURDENS THAT BUSINESSES IN THE COMMONWEALTH ARE CURRENTLY FACING, AS WELL AS FIGHTING BACK AGAINST PROPOSALS THAT WILL INCREASE THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN THE STATE. HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON BEHALF OF PENNSYLVANIA'S BROAD BASED BUSINESS COMMUNITY.- ENACTMENT OF SEVERAL PANDEMIC-RELATED BILLS DESIGNED TO AID BUSINESSES DURING THE UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC UPHEAVAL THAT RESULTED FROM THE COVID- 19 RELATED BUSINESS SHUTDOWN ORDERS.- PASSAGE OF LEGISLATION TO RESTORE PENNSYLVANIA'S ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, LIKE DATA CENTER SALES AND USE TAX EXEMPTIONS, AND REQUIRING DYNAMIC SCORING OF LEGISLATION OF GREAT FISCAL IMPACT, DESIGNED TO ASSIST GOVERNMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOUND ECONOMIC POLICY, WORKING SMARTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY.- PASSAGE OF OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING REFORM AND AN OMNIBUS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE AIMED TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN EMPLOYER WORKFORCE NEEDS AND THE LABOR MARKET.- ENACTMENT OF LEGISLATION AIMED AT IMPROVING PENNSYLVANIA'S INFRASTRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE DEPLOYMENT OF SMALL CELL AND 5G BROADBAND TECHNOLOGY. FOUGHT OFF A PUNITIVE ADDITIONAL TAX ON THE NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY AS PART OF THE 2020-21 BUDGET.- LED SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS TO REPEAL A HARMFUL OVERTIME EXPANSION PROPOSAL AND DEFEATED PROPOSALS TO IMPOSE EXCESSIVE INCREASES TO PENNSYLVANIA'S MINIMUM WAGE, WHICH WOULD HAVE SPECIFICALLY HURT SMALL BUSINESSES.

IN EARLY OCTOBER 2021, AFTER A YEAR-LONG HIATUS DUE TO COVID-19, THE PA CHAMBER SAFELY WELCOMED HUNDREDS OF BUSINESS LEADERS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS BACK TO THE HERSHEY LODGE FOR THE 37TH ANNUAL CHAMBER DINNER. A TIME-HONORED TRADITION, THE CHAMBER DINNER OFFERS ATTENDEES A YEARLY OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK WITH ONE ANOTHER AND GAIN INSIGHT FROM AND ENJOY SOME OF THE NATION'S MOST VISIONARY SPEAKERS AND TOP ENTERTAINERS. THE 37TH ANNUAL DINNER WAS THE FIRST-EVER HYBRID EVENT, WITH GUESTS BEING ABLE TO JOIN IN-PERSON AT HERSHEY LODGE OR WATCH THE PROGRAM LIVE FROM HOME VIA AN ONLINE PLATFORM. ATTENDEES ENJOYED A LIVELY KEYNOTE "LEADING POLITICAL VOICES OF THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS," WITH CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR BEN SHAPIRO AND LIBERAL COMMENTATOR ANA KASPARIAN, WHO SHARED THEIR DIFFERING YET RESPECTFUL POSITIONS ON SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY FOR THE NATION'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ENGAGED IN AN EXCLUSIVE MODERATED Q&A SESSION FOR THE VIRTUAL AUDIENCE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR DEBATE.

THE PA CHAMBER'S MEMBER-CENTRIC MARKETING TEAM IS A STATEWIDE LEADER PROVIDING THE STATEWIDE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THE LATEST IN COMPLIANCE EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND B2B CONNECTIVITY, OFFERING COUNTLESS ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND INVALUABLE INFORMATION BOTH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE. IN 2021, THE PA CHAMBER HOSTED MORE THAN 30 WEBINARS AND CONFERENCES THAT FOCUSED ON THE LEADING HR-RELATED TOPICS, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY ISSUES, IT SECURITY, AND LEADERSHIP; SAFELY HOSTED THE ANNUAL BUSINESS GOLF OUTING IN-PERSON; AND CONTINUED TO HOST MEMBER-SPONSORED WEBINARS TO ALLOW OUR MEMBERS TO PROVIDE THEIR EXPERTISE IN A NUMBER OF SUBJECT AREAS TO A BUSINESS AUDIENCE. WE ALSO HOSTED OUR FIRST-EVER EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY SUMMIT THAT ADDRESSED IMPORTANT AND TIMELY TOPICS SUCH AS HOW TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE INCLUSIVE CULTURE, RECRUITING AND DEVELOPING TALENT, AND DEI MINEFIELDS FOR BOARDS AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAMS.