Pennsylvania legislation · 2025-2026 Regular Session
Pennsylvania HR497: A Resolution recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania.
Status: Passed both chambers, October 7, 2026
What the bill says
A resolution Recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania.
From the introduced text, April 29, 2026:
A RESOLUTION Recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania. WHEREAS, On October 6, 1683, families, having sailed earlier from the German City of Krefeld, established Germantown, Pennsylvania, the first German settlement in America; and WHEREAS, Germantown became the first American community to formally protest the evils of slavery in 1688; and WHEREAS, Between the 1680s and the American Revolution, the majority of an estimated 100,000 German immigrants coming to North America settled in this Commonwealth, comprising a third of Philadelphia's population by the 1760s; and WHEREAS, In the many years since, millions of German immigrants have come to the United States and this Commonwealth in pursuit of personal and religious freedoms and economic opportunity; and WHEREAS, Their descendants continue to shape the cultural landscape of this Commonwealth, with more than 2.6 million Pennsylvanians reporting German ancestry, making it the largest ancestry group in this Commonwealth; and WHEREAS, Established in 1764, the German Society of Pennsylvania is the oldest German organization in the United States and serves the State's German-American community; and WHEREAS, The German Society of Pennsylvania, based in Philadelphia, seeks to foster a better understanding between the United States and Germany by advocating awareness of German culture, traditions and contributions to the history, culture, economy, science and technology of the United States; and WHEREAS, Today, Pennsylvania …
Sponsors
- Steven Malagari (D, 53) · primary sponsor
- Robert FREEMAN (D, 136)
- Tina Pickett (R, 110)
- Milou Mackenzie (R, 131)
- Jeanne McNeill (D, 133)
- Eddie Pashinski (D, 121)
- Joseph Hohenstein (D, 177)
- Nancy Guenst (D, 152)
- James Haddock (D, 118)
- Carol Hill-Evans (D, 95)
- Steven Mentzer (R, 97)
- Benjamin Sanchez (D, 153)
Latest actions
- : (Remarks see House Journal Page ), Oct. 7, 2026
- : Adopted, Oct. 7, 2026 (201-2)
- : Reported as committed, Sept. 29, 2026
- : Referred to TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, April 29, 2026
Votes
- House Floor: HR497, RC 1471 (October 7, 2026): 201 yea, 2 nay, passed
- House Tourism, Recreation & Economic Development: Report Bill As Committed (September 29, 2026): 26 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: TOURISM, RECREATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Common questions
- What is HR497?
- HR497 is a bill in the Pennsylvania Legislature (2025-2026 Regular Session): A Resolution recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania.
- What does HR497 do?
- In its own words: A resolution Recognizing October 6, 2026, as "German American Day" in Pennsylvania.
- What is the status of HR497?
- Passed both chambers as of October 7, 2026. Latest action: (Remarks see House Journal Page ), Oct. 7, 2026 (October 7, 2026).
- Who sponsored HR497?
- Steven Malagari (D, 53), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HR497?
- On the Pennsylvania Legislature website: https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hr497
Source: official Pennsylvania record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.