Pennsylvania legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Pennsylvania HR259: A Resolution recognizing August 24, 2026, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Pennsylvania.
Status: Passed both chambers, May 5, 2026
What the bill says
A resolution Recognizing August 24, 2025, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Pennsylvania.
From the introduced text, June 16, 2025:
A RESOLUTION Recognizing August 24, 2025, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Pennsylvania. WHEREAS, On August 24, 1991, after the failed coup attempt on Mikhail Gorbachev, Ukraine's Supreme Council voted to declare Ukraine's independence; and WHEREAS, Ukraine's Supreme Council called for an independence referendum on December 1 that year; and WHEREAS, With some 32 million people turning out to vote, representing 84.1% of eligible voters, 90.32% of voters voted in favor of independence; and WHEREAS, Every oblast in Ukraine, including Crimea where ethnic Russians form a substantial majority of the population, voted in favor of independence; and WHEREAS, In 1994, as part of the Budapest Memorandum, Ukraine agreed to completely relinquish its nuclear arsenal, which it inherited from the collapsed Soviet Union, in exchange for an assurance that the United States, the United Kingdom and Russia would respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and refrain from the use or threat of military force; and WHEREAS, Since declaring its independence, Ukraine has been caught between pro-Western and pro-Russian factions; and WHEREAS, The 2004 Presidential Election exemplified these tensions, with the pro-Western Viktor Yushchenko facing off against the pro-Russian Viktor Yanukovych; and WHEREAS, Yanukovych was declared the winner of the election after the runoff; and WHEREAS, The runoff vote was marred by allegations of fraud that seemed to try to skew the election in favor …
Sponsors
- Christopher Pielli (D, 156) · primary sponsor
- Nikki Rivera (D, 96)
- Arvind Venkat (D, 30)
- Robert Merski (D, 2)
- Jose Giral (D, 180)
- Maureen Madden (D, 115)
- Gregory Vitali (D, 166)
- Tarah Probst (D, 189)
- Nancy Guenst (D, 152)
- Eddie Pashinski (D, 121)
- Joseph Hohenstein (D, 177)
- Kristine Howard (D, 167)
Latest actions
- : (Remarks see House Journal Page 438-440), May 5, 2026
- : Adopted, May 5, 2026 (187-14)
- : Amended, May 5, 2026
- : Removed from table, May 4, 2026
- : Laid on the table (Pursuant to House Rule 71), Aug. 10, 2025
- : Reported as committed, June 23, 2025
- : Referred to TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, June 16, 2025
Votes
- House Floor: HR0259, RC 1014 (May 5, 2026): 190 yea, 11 nay, passed
- Adopted, May 5, 2026 (187-14) (May 5, 2026): 187 yea, 14 nay, passed
- House Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development: Report Bill As Committed (June 23, 2025): 16 yea, 10 nay, passed
Subjects: TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Common questions
- What is HR259?
- HR259 is a bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): A Resolution recognizing August 24, 2026, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Pennsylvania.
- What does HR259 do?
- In its own words: A resolution Recognizing August 24, 2025, as "Ukrainian Independence Day" in Pennsylvania.
- What is the status of HR259?
- Passed both chambers as of May 5, 2026. Latest action: (Remarks see House Journal Page 438-440), May 5, 2026 (May 5, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR259?
- Christopher Pielli (D, 156), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HR259?
- On the Pennsylvania Legislature website: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hr259
Source: official Pennsylvania record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.