The Overview

Your tax dollars already help pay for Pennsylvania's idle state land, and a new law could put some of it back to work. Pennsylvania's new omnibus land conveyance law authorizes state agencies to convey state-owned land to nonprofit corporations, local governments, the Philadelphia Housing Authority and a limited partnership at sites in several counties. Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El introduced the bill May 29, and Gov. Josh Shapiro signed it July 20. The act takes effect immediately, and its deed for the Millersville property must include a covenant barring use as a licensed gaming facility or similar facility, with title reverting to the Commonwealth if the property is used in violation.

Unused public land can impose ongoing maintenance costs while remaining unavailable for housing, redevelopment, or civic use. Recipients include Student Lodging, Inc. in Lancaster County, the Philadelphia Housing Authority, Gaudenzia Foundation, Inc. in Philadelphia, the Borough of Danville, the City of Hermitage, and Penn Township Municipal Authority, among others. The most detailed provision covers a 0.31-acre parcel at 28 North George Street in Millersville Borough, the former Witmer Infirmary, authorized to be conveyed to Student Lodging, Inc. for $1.

The law requires the deed for the Millersville property at 28 North George Street to include a promise that it will never be used as a licensed gaming facility, or anything similar that state law allows, and Student Lodging, Inc. would pay all the incidental costs and fees. The law also releases or transfers deed restrictions on selected properties, and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation describes Project 70 restrictions, which date to the state's 1964 land-acquisition program, as land-use covenants that can require replacement property or other safeguards when protected land is converted.

The Demo

Pennsylvania has about 13.0 million residents and roughly 5.3 million households, with a median household income of $77,971 and a poverty rate of 11.7 percent, according to 2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates. The conveyances span Lancaster, Philadelphia, Centre, Cumberland, Montour, Mercer, Luzerne, Snyder, and other counties, touching a broad cross-section of the state. About 14.4 percent of residents live with a disability, and the state's unemployment rate stands at 5.3 percent.

The Debate

The House passed the bill June 29, 2026, 154 to 48. The Pennsylvania Senate Democrats' post-session report described the measure as "omnibus land conveyance legislation." Citizen Portal reported that the bill removed certain reversionary protections for Penn State branch campuses, and that critics warned the change removed accountability for public assets.

What's Next

For the Millersville property, the act gives the Department of General Services 24 months after it takes effect to complete the transfer, and if that does not happen in time, the property may be sold through competitive bidding under the state's administrative code, with the money going to the General Fund. The Millersville conveyance requires approval from the governor and a deed signed by the Secretary of General Services.

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