A bill introduced by a local lawmaker would ease bureaucratic burdens on small communities holding events on roadways maintained by PennDOT such as Main Street in Butler.
Republican State Senator Scott Hutchinson’s Senate Bill 615 would forbid the state agency from requiring local municipalities to obtain duplicate insurance for festivals, parades, or other special activities.
Currently event sponsors must assume duplicate liability for events on PennDOT roads in order for PennDOT to issue a permit for the activity. Senator Hutchinson explains:
“Within the last year, PennDOT has been strictly enforcing the law in requiring that not only does the event sponsor, who is already willing and able to provide indemnification and liability insurance for holding these events, but in the past year PennDOT has been doubling down on the municipalities to also offer the same liability and indemnification.”
This bill has been approved by the Senate Transportation Committee and will next advance to the full Senate for consideration.
