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Council proposed ban on city permits for developers sued for bad faith intimidation tactics

Official:Amending Subcode "A" ("The Philadelphia Administrative Code") of Title 4 of The Philadelphia Code ("The Philadelphia Building Construction and Occupancy Code"), to add a provision prohibiting the issuance of permits to a project developer, or an entity related to such developer, upon a determination that the developer filed a lawsuit intended to censor or intimidate a critic (sometimes known as a strategic lawsuit against public participation) in bad faith, all under certain terms and conditions.

Sponsor: Councilmember Squilla

Introduced: December 8, 2016

: Committee on Licenses and Inspections

government planningslapp

No one voted on this bill

This bill was introduced in the 2016–2019 Council term and when that term ran out. The public record shows no committee vote and no floor vote at any stage, so no member of Council ever went on record for or against it.

That is not unusual here. Of the 8,465 bills introduced between 2000 and 2025, 1,624 lapsed without a single recorded vote. Ninety percent of bills that became law carry a roll call. Three percent of lapsed bills do. How this works.

Plain-Language Summary

This bill aims to prevent project developers who file lawsuits to intimidate critics (known as SLAPP cases) from receiving city permits for a period of up to five years.

What This Bill Does

AI-written. Every figure is checked against the bill text.

The bill would

Prohibit the issuance of permits to a project developer or related entity if a lawsuit is deemed a "bad-faith SLAPP Case", meaning it is filed without a good faith basis to discourage public comment, criticism, or participation.
Define a "bad-faith SLAPP Case" as a lawsuit designed to discourage public comment, criticism, or participation in administrative or legal proceedings regarding a construction or development project.
Define a "related entity" as a parent, subsidiary, or any other entity in which a significant legal interest is held by a person who holds a significant legal interest in the project developer.
Impose a penalty of up to 5 years of prohibiting the issuance of permits to the developer or related entity.