“Occupational therapists assess, plan, and organize rehabilitative programs that help people with disabilities or developmental delays build or regain the skills they need for daily living and independence,” said state Rep. Brandon Markosek. “Joining the compact will help reduce barriers to care, especially in rural and underserved communities, while giving providers the ability to practice across state lines without jumping through redundant licensing hoops.” Read more

HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Reps. Carol Kazeem and Heather Boyd, both D-Delaware, and Andre Carroll, D-Phila., of the relaunched bipartisan House PA Youth & Public Safety Caucus on Monday announced a public safety initiative in Harrisburg. Read more

“Too often, veterans miss out on benefits they’ve earned simply because they don’t know what’s available,” Deasy said. “This bill is a commonsense way to make sure that every eligible veteran sees the support that they’ve earned through serving our country, right where they work. I’m proud to see this bill headed to Governor Shapiro’s desk.” Read more

“These boats don’t just sit and rot. They leak fuel, block access, and sometimes even break loose and cause accidents,” state Rep. Anita Kulik said. “Local officials have been asking for clear authority to deal with this, and this bill finally delivers it. I’m glad to see it heading to the governor’s desk and hope to see it signed into law soon so communities can start putting it to use.” Read more

HARRISBURG, June 30 – The House today approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Dan Goughnour, D-Allegheny, to make it easier to rehabilitate and preserve certain historic properties in Pennsylvania. House Bill 1572 would alleviate some of the construction and rehabilitation costs of property preservation by increasing a tax credit available for each project under the state’s Historic Preservation Tax Credit . The tax-credit program provides tax credits to qualified taxpayers who are restoring a qualified historic structure into an income-producing property. Goughnour said that last session, the General Assembly took an important step in protecting the Commonwealth’s rich history by increasing the total tax credits issued per year from $5 million per year to $20 million. However, each qualifying project can only receive a credit of $500,000, and his legislation would increase the per-project cap on the credit to $1.5 million. “Most projects far exceed $500,000 in cost,” Goughnour said. “For instance, of all the projects approved in 2023, only one cost less than $10 million, and the largest totaled $110 million. So, increasing the credit will make preserving these properties more attractive.” The $500,000 credit limit has remained unchanged since 2019. Under the program, no more than 25 percent of the expenditures incurred during the restoration of the Read more

“Let doctors treat patients, and let families care for their kids,” state Rep. Dan Frankel said. “This bill simply allows families to focus on what the research says and what’s best for their child – not whether their county is red or blue.” Read more

HARRISBURG, June 27 – In the wake of major changes to a federal vaccine advisory panel that could threaten Pennsylvanians’ access to life-saving immunizations, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Bridget Kosierowski and Tarik Khan, all health professionals, are preparing to introduce legislation that would require private insurers and Medicaid to cover FDA-approved vaccines that have been recommended by certain medical organizations. Venkat said the legislation is needed to ensure that critical immunization protections remain available to Pennsylvanians. “As a physician, I know that vaccines are among the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal for preventing disease. The administration of scheduled childhood vaccines and recommended vaccines to adults has protected all Pennsylvanians for decades,” said Venkat. “Unfortunately, recent developments at the federal level – including the firing of all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and their replacement with at least several known anti-vaccine activists – is a warning sign. “If ACIP fails to continue recommending certain FDA-approved vaccines, insurers will no longer have to cover them, and critical immunizations that protect children and vulnerable Pennsylvanians from deadly diseases would disappear. Beyond the human toll, long-term health care Read more

HARRISBURG, June 26 – To take on the ongoing housing crisis across the state, the Pennsylvania House has passed state Rep. Lindsay Powell’s bill that would establish a new grant program to support improvements to housing stock. House Bill 1650 , introduced by Powell, D-Allegheny, and co-prime sponsored by state Reps. Brandon Markosek, D-Allegheny, and Tim Twardzik, R-Schuylkill, would establish the Pennsylvania Home Preservation Grant Program, a Department of Community and Economic Development-administered program to help local governments improve the existing housing stock in their communities. “Having a safe, healthy home is vital in allowing residents to establish a sense of stability,” Powell said . “This bill would enable people to stay in their homes, while also tackling the housing crisis and allowing our communities to prosper.” The program would address the long waitlists for home repairs by focusing on critical cases, a key success of the Commonwealth’s previous Whole Home Repairs Program, which was funded through one-time federal American Rescue Plan dollars. Over 18,000 homeowners ended up on waitlists for home repairs under the prior program. The bill was considered by the House Housing & Community Development Committee, which reported it out of committee earlier this week in a bipartisan manner. “As chairman and co-prime of the bill, I moved Read more

HARRISBURG, June 24 – State Rep. Abigail Salisbury today introduced legislation that would require all Pennsylvania newborns to be tested for Gaucher disease – an inherited genetic disorder with far-reaching health consequences. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said H.B. 1652 would ensure diagnosis at the earliest possible time, when treatment can help alleviate some symptoms of the disease. “Currently, there is no cure for Gaucher disease, which causes fatty substances to accumulate and enlarge the liver and spleen,” Salisbury said. “People born with the disorder can develop a litany of problems, from organ, blood and bone disorders to gynecological and obstetric problems, to even some cancers. “The good news is that timely detection and treatment can alleviate some of the symptoms and help people achieve better outcomes. My bill would ensure that Gaucher testing is included among the diseases for which Pennsylvania newborns are screened. It’s a simple step that can make a huge difference in the life of someone born with this disease.” Gaucher disease is a genetic condition in which a person is missing an enzyme that breaks down lipids – fatty compounds in the body that serve various important functions. This can result in symptoms including a large liver and spleen, low number of red blood cells, easy bruising, bone pain, bone fractures and lung disease. In rare cases, the Read more

Steele’s resolution requires the Joint State Government Commission to study the efficacy of burying electric and other utility lines in Pennsylvania. This resolution follows the powerful April storms in Allegheny County, which left some residents without power for over two weeks. Read more