House Bill No. 1688 proposes to add a provision to the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC) that would require county comprehensive plans to include additional information regarding common interest ownership communities.

Specifically, the proposed legislation would add a requirement that a county comprehensive plan shall "[i]dentify, by name and physical location, all residential and mixed-use common interest ownership communities, as well as the total land area, lot size, number of units and infrastructure of each, including, but not limited to, information concerning the presence and condition of sanitary sewer, water and storm watersystems, recreation facilities and roadways."

Representative Mario Scavello who represents a portion of Monroe County, is the prime sponsor of House Bill No. 1688. Representative Scavello noted in a Memorandum he prepared to all House members regarding the proposed legislation that the Joint State Government Commission (JSGC) was directed to study the impact of Common Interest Ownership Communities (CIOCs), which he adds are commonly referred to as "planned communities." Representative Scavello provided that as part of its study the JSGC noted that there is "an absolute lack of information on CIOCs across Pennsylvania" and that only two counties' (Pike County and Monroe County) planning offices collect data on CIOCs. Representative Scavello introduced House Bill No. 1688 in an effort to be a "remedy to this massive data void."

As for the status of House Bill No. 1688, it has not yet been passed. After the bill was introduced, it was referred to the Committee on Local Government, where it remains.

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