Bill from Shaffer to Turn Volume Down on Digital Disruption in Streaming Ads Passes House

October 19, 2026

HARRISBURG – Today Rep. Jeremy Shaffer (R-Allegheny) celebrated House passage of legislation that would prohibit video streaming services from playing commercial advertisements at a volume louder than the video content they accompany.

House Bill 2790, which Shaffer co-sponsored with Rep. Elizabeth Fielder (D-Philadelphia), passed the House with a vote of 189-14. The bill includes language from a piece of legislation Shaffer originally proposed, House Bill 2220, which had unanimously passed the House Communication and Technology Committee

“Whether you live in Philadelphia or Allegheny County, nobody wants commercials blasting through their devices louder than the show they're watching,” Shaffer said. “This is a common-sense consumer protection that brings streaming services in line with the standards we've had for traditional television for years. I'm pleased to have worked with Rep. Fiedler in a bipartisan manner to address an annoyance that affects families across Pennsylvania.”

“This bill is simple: what you set is what you should get,” Fiedler said. “As a lawmaker and as a parent, it’s frustrating to have the video you’re watching be interrupted by an ad with a much louder volume than the original video. I’m glad that we’re one step closer to giving Pennsylvanians the control they deserve with this House vote.”

House Bill 2790 also mirrors federal requirements in the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act that apply to television broadcasters and cable operators. However, the CALM Act does not cover internet-based streaming platforms.

“Statistics show most Pennsylvanians, along with Americans, now rely on streaming services to watch video content,” Shaffer said. “This bipartisan bill puts consumers first by making sure streaming platforms follow the same standards as traditional broadcasters. Pennsylvanians deserve a consistent, comfortable experience.”

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration.

Representative Jeremy Shaffer
28th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Andrew Forgotch
717-772-9905
aforgotch@pahousegop.com
RepShafferpa.com / www.Facebook.com/repshaffer