Philadelphia City Council adopted a package of measures including a ballot measure to make the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson permanent, a tobacco‑retailer enforcement ordinance, and several privileged resolutions; roll-call votes on the bills were unanimous.

City Council held a public hearing on the School District of PhiladelphiaFacilities Master Plan, a draft $2.8 billion, 10-year proposal that would modernize hundreds of schools and recommends closures, co-locations and grade-band changes. District leaders say funding is partly secured by $1 billion in bonds; $1.8 billion remains contingent on state and philanthropic support. Council members and public speakers pressed the district on data, equity, safety, transportation, and plans for displaced students.

Philadelphia City Council passed ordinance 250989, a temporary moratorium on the commercial breeding and transfer of puppies, after extensive public testimony from animal-welfare volunteers, breeders and shelter advocates; the bill passed unanimously, 15-0.

The City Council Committee on Public Safety heard testimony supporting Resolution 250,781 to explore creating an Office of Freedmen Affairs. Witnesses argued the city should use administrative tools to enforce the Thirteenth Amendment's protections and address entrenched disparities; the committee did not take a vote.

After hours of public testimony from veterinarians, rescue volunteers and breeders, Philadelphia City Council adopted an amendment to Bill 250989 — a temporary moratorium on breeding and transfers of puppies — and placed the amended measure on the final-passage calendar.

City officials, legal aid groups and researchers told a Council committee that at least 10,000 Philadelphia households likely live with tangled property titles, blocking access to insurance, tax relief and repairs; advocates urged more funding for probate costs, expanded tangled‑title fund caps and state law changes to clear titles more efficiently.

After testimony from local families, advocates and an ombud from Los Angeles, the committee voted to approve an amendment and to report Bill 251,098 and Resolution 251,108 (charter change to enshrine the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson) favorably out of committee; sponsors and DHS said permanence would strengthen oversight and investigative authority.

Council adopted resolutions honoring Pushing Progress Philly (P3) and Endangered Kind for community-based violence-intervention work; program leaders described evidence-based outreach, summer risk concerns, and a citywide "Project Tour 2026."

Philadelphia City Council adopted resolution 260066 urging U.S. senators to vote no on HR 7147 (increasing DHS/ICE funding). The public-comment period included sharply divided testimony for and against the resolution, with immigrant-serving groups warning of harms from ICE enforcement and others calling for stricter enforcement.

The Licenses and Inspections committee advanced an amendment to Bill 250980 to require nonresident property owners to provide verifiable contact information and designate local agents; the Department of Licenses and Inspections supported the goal but raised legal and operational concerns and recommended consulting the Law Department.

The Philadelphia City Council Licenses and Inspections committee voted to advance an amendment to add illegal sales of tobacco to minors and unlicensed tobacco retailing to the city's nuisance-business rules and to require department-approved tobacco retailer education as a condition for lifting cease-operations orders.

After extensive testimony from animal-welfare groups, veterinarians, hobby-breeder groups and community organizations, the Rules Committee adopted an amendment and reported bill 250,989 (a 36‑month temporary moratorium on unlicensed dog breeding and transfers) out of committee with a favorable recommendation for first reading.

Councilmembers introduced a multi-part "ICE Out" package of ordinances and a privileged resolution to limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Dozens of residents and advocates urged swift action; councilmembers pledged hearings and committee review.

Deputy Police Commissioner Fran Healy told the Committee on Rules that bill 250890 expands a 2022 ordinance to cover individual parts and tightens identification rules for metal dealers; the committee adopted an amendment and reported the bill favorably.

Community members, school leaders and neighborhood groups urged the Committee on Rules to back bill 250834, Councilmember Lozada’s plan to create a 7th District overlay that would require special‑exception review for new convenience/sundries/pharmacy uses and give community groups a role before those businesses open.

Public commenters urged the council to accelerate reuse of Land Bank properties for affordable housing and warned that the informal practice called 'councilmatic prerogative' should not block redevelopment. Council adopted a Land Bank conveyance resolution during the same session.

City Council passed multiple zoning and regulatory bills and adopted several privileged resolutions; roll-call votes on several ordinances recorded 16–0 outcomes. One resolution was withdrawn; several bills were placed on committee calendars earlier in the session.

Philadelphia City Council's Public Health and Human Services Committee adopted an amendment to bill 250,849 and voted to report the measure favorably, directing it for first reading at the next council session; the bill would add explicit protections and require reasonable workplace accommodations for menstruation, perimenopause and menopause.

Council adopted a privileged resolution recognizing abortion access as a human right. Dozens of public commenters — including Planned Parenthood clinicians and reproductive‑justice groups — urged the council to schedule a previously authorized hearing and allocate local funding to fill gaps left by federal and local cuts.

City Council's Committee of the Whole heard hours of testimony and questioning on the administration's $800 million HOME plan, pressing officials on Year 1 allocations (about $238 million), Turn the Key pipeline funding, prioritization for lowest-income households and preservation of at-risk subsidized units; the hearing recessed to Nov. 17.

District officials said school meals remain available at no cost through Community Eligibility, but the federal elimination of SNAP‑Ed funding risks ending Eat Right Philly and partner SNAP‑Ed programs after the 2025–26 school year, reducing classroom nutrition education and school produce distributions.

City officials described an immediate emergency package—$4 million in city allocations (two $1M awards to large food banks; $2M in rapid grants for small and grassroots providers), reallocated DHS funds for gift cards, rental and utility relief, and a coordinated outreach campaign using PA DHS data to reach households affected by the partial SNAP.

Local food banks and nonprofits described historic increases in need, supply chain pressure and limits on charitable capacity; Philabundance and Share committed additional monthly distributions but said SNAP’s purchasing power cannot be fully replicated by food banks.

City officials, legal counsel and community providers told the Council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee that a partial federal November SNAP payment and elimination of SNAP‑Ed funding have created immediate food shortfalls for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians, surging demand at food banks and uncertainty about when EBT cards will

Philadelphia City Council adopted a privileged resolution recognizing November 2025 as Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. During public comment multiple advocates warned that a federal SNAP benefit pause and broader affordability pressures will increase demand for food and shelter services and urged the city and state to act.