Two members of the PA Chamber’s government affairs team testified before House committees last week, outlining business community priorities on education accountability and data center policy as lawmakers consider proposals with long-term economic implications.
Aaron Riggleman, manager of government affairs, appeared before the House Education Committee to discuss student outcomes, accountability, and workforce readiness. Amy Brinton, director of government affairs, testified before the House Energy Committee on legislation addressing data center reporting requirements and local siting standards.
Before the Education Committee, Riggleman’s testimony emphasized that employers are major stakeholders in Pennsylvania’s education system, both as taxpayers and as future employers of today’s students. He noted that while Pennsylvania has made significant increases in K-12 funding over the past decade, those investments have not consistently translated into stronger student outcomes.
“Accountability is not an option but an imperative, both for current spending and any conversations of increasing spending,” Riggleman told lawmakers, urging a stronger focus on measurable results rather than funding levels alone.
Riggleman pointed to standardized assessments and tools such as the Future Ready PA Index as essential for tracking student progress and comparing outcomes across schools and regions. He cautioned against limiting the data available to policymakers and argued that multiple metrics provide a clearer picture of what is working and what is not.
He also highlighted the skills Pennsylvania employers are seeking, including core academic proficiency alongside problem-solving, teamwork, and professionalism. Riggleman said schools can better support workforce readiness through project-based learning, career and technical exposure, and policies that encourage youth employment.
“An education system focused on outcomes, transparency, and real-world readiness sends a clear signal to employers that Pennsylvania is serious about competing for the jobs and investments shaping the next generation of our economy,” he said.
Before the House Energy Committee, Brinton’s testimony addressed House Bill 2150, which would require annual reporting of energy and water use by data centers. While acknowledging lawmakers’ interest in long-term planning, she raised concerns that the bill would single out one industry and create uncertainty at a time when states are competing for large-scale technology investments.
“By singling out data centers, the bill signals that the Commonwealth is charting a different, more restrictive course than other states,” Brinton said, warning that new mandates could divert investment elsewhere.
Brinton also questioned directing detailed operational data to the Department of Environmental Protection, noting the risk that information could later be used for enforcement purposes. She suggested that, if reporting moves forward, a neutral entity such as the Independent Fiscal Office would be better positioned to aggregate and analyze data without enforcement authority.
She further flagged security and confidentiality concerns tied to reporting highly granular operational details from facilities that support critical infrastructure, as well as the bill’s proposed $10,000-per-day penalty for reporting violations.
“That level of penalty is extraordinarily high for a reporting-only violation and raises serious concerns about fairness and proportionality,” Brinton said.
Brinton also commented on House Bill 2151, which directs the Department of Community and Economic Development to develop a model ordinance for data center siting. She urged lawmakers to ensure any model ordinance promotes predictability and flexibility, avoids new regulatory layers, and is developed with industry and local government input.
Both testimonies reflected the PA Chamber’s position that thoughtful policy, grounded in data and stakeholder input, is essential to strengthening Pennsylvania’s competitiveness, workforce pipeline, and ability to attract investment in emerging industries.