HARRISBURG, July 11 – State Rep. Aerion Abney today voted in favor of Pennsylvania’s new budget for 2024-25, saying that the plan will fundamentally change the way the state funds its public schools and provide a path toward equality in public education. “A public school education is supposed to be the great equalizer, but for decades, that hasn’t been the case here in PA because of an unconstitutional funding system that ties the quality of a student’s education to the wealth of their ZIP code,” Abney said. “I voted for the new state plan because I believe its $1.3 billion investment in students will be a game-changer. It’s time to level the playing field and ensure all Pennsylvania students get the quality education they deserve – and it’s also time to start easing the burden of rising property taxes residents have shouldered for too long. “The new plan also provides a more realistic formula for funding our cyber charters, so they don’t continue draining dollars from our brick-and-mortar public schools.” Abney said the new spending plan promises to make higher education more affordable for students. “Pennsylvania is ranked 49 th in the nation when it comes to public funding for higher education per student,” Abney said. “The result is that many young Pennsylvanians either forego college altogether or end up starting their lives and Read more
Legislation to crack down on predatory drug pricing practices clears state House and Senate Read more
HARRISBURG, July 8 — State Reps. Greg Scott and Arvind Venkat said a crucial piece of legislation that aims to protect health care practitioners and their patients from unfair reimbursement practices imposed by some insurers is headed to the governor’s desk. House Bill 1664 would address how certain insurers require claims payments to be made through credit or debit card equivalents, which involves the insurer providing a series of numbers that the health care provider must enter on a website or credit card terminal. This process forces health care practices to absorb transaction fees, sometimes as high as 5%, or pass these additional costs on to patients. Insurers sometimes even receive a percentage of the transaction fee. Many health care offices, particularly those run by small business owners, are not fully equipped to handle end-to-end electronic claims processing, especially for bulk claim payments. As a result, these practices may be forced to upgrade their payment systems simply to be paid for the services they provide to patients covered under an insurer’s plan. This requirement unfairly restricts their business practices and increases operational costs. "In passing House Bill 1664, we're taking a significant step to ensure fairness in health care reimbursement practices,” said Scott, D-Montgomery. “This legislation would be a victory for dentists and their patients, ensuring that Read more
HARRISBURG, July 9 – With thousands of students being turned away from career and technical education programs, the Pennsylvania House today adopted a resolution introduced by state Rep. Aerion Abney that would require the state to study the problem and recommend ways to expand access to these programs. Abney said he introduced H.R. 481 – which calls on the Legislative Budget and Finance Commission to identify student barriers to CTE and make recommendations – to address a disturbing trend. “Our CTE programs are incredibly important because they provide young adults with the skills they need for good-paying, family-sustaining jobs,” Abney said. “Unfortunately, thousands of students are being turned away or wait-listed for these programs. It’s an issue that is depriving young adults of critical training tools and diminishing the pool of talented applicants that employers need to remain competitive. “If we’re really serious about maintaining a strong workforce and ensuring we can provide the kinds of opportunities that make young adults want to stay, raise families here and contribute back to the economy, then we need to address this issue. If the problem is one of capacity, then we need to secure the necessary funding to expand our CTE programs statewide. This study will be an important first step.” Abney said Pennsylvania has more than 68,000 students attending Read more
HARRISBURG, July 3 – State Reps. Lindsay Powell’s and Shelby Labs’ bill that would establish the Victims of Violence Relocation Act passed the state House today. Under the legislation ( H.B. 2162 ), eligible violent crime survivors would be entitled to relocation assistance, and the timeframe for requesting such assistance would be increased from 90 to 180 days after the crime occurred. The legislators said this would allow survivors more time to access necessary support and would ensure they can utilize federal documentation to validate their need for relocation. “Partnering with Representative Labs on this bill exemplifies that the PA House stands united with survivors of violent crime by expanding housing assistance to them in their time of need,” Powell, D-Allegheny, said. “Thank you to all my colleagues for your affirmative votes and your commitment to helping survivors start their lives anew.” “I want to thank Representative Powell for her collaboration on this important piece of legislation that protects victims and empowers survivors,” Labs, R-Bucks, added. “The passage of House Bill 2162 is a critical step in ensuring our commitment to making Pennsylvania a safer place for victims of violence and providing a foundation of support during recovery.” The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence says one in three women, one in four men and nearly half of LGBTQ+ individuals will Read more
PA CROWN Act legislation has been stalled in Senate committee for nearly one year Read more
“Over 140 pharmacies have closed in our Commonwealth since the beginning of the year,” said Dr. Mayank “Dr. Mak” Amin, the owner of Skippack Pharmacy. “While I stand here and celebrate our pharmacy’s 5th anniversary, we are also bleeding due to poor reimbursements and patient steering. Community pharmacies like Skippack Pharmacy vaccinated over 100,000 patients during the pandemic and provided critical supplies to those in need, but what will save community pharmacies like ours?" Read more
HARRISBURG, July 2 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell and several Democratic members of the Pennsylvania House and Senate shared their reactions to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision on homelessness at a news conference in the Capitol Main Rotunda today. On Friday, the court ruled that sleeping outside in public places can be an arrestable offense and banning it does not qualify as “cruel and unusual punishment” under the Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. “We are here today because our Supreme Court sided with cities and municipalities, who are more concerned with public appearances than with building enough affordable housing,” Powell, D-Allegheny, said. “Now, our neighbors are confronted with a harsh reality: remain awake or face arrest.” Powell has signed on as a co-sponsor to future legislation that would clarify the decriminalization of homelessness in Pennsylvania and allow individuals to occupy public spaces. She also recently introduced H.B. 2454 , legislation that would establish the Affordable Homeownership Program under the state Department of Community and Economic Development . The program would award funds for a variety of homeownership-related projects to individuals and households through sponsoring organizations. “The House and the Senate are committed to doing everything in our power to provide actual solutions and actual housing units,” she added. “We will continue to Read more
Newly listed grant programs Read more
PA students currently owe $80 million in unpaid lunch debt Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Rep. Aerion Abney’s bill that would exclude one portion of a person’s potential revenue when determining their financial eligibility for senior prescription programs in Pennsylvania passed the state House with a bipartisan majority today. Abney’s legislation ( H.B. 2378 ) would not count the total dollar amount, including face value and interest earned, of redeemed savings bonds as part of an older Pennsylvanian’s income when they apply for either the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly or PACE Needs Enhancement Tier, otherwise known as PACE and PACENET. “Rising prescription drugs costs have created a no-win situation for many PA seniors, forcing them to choose between cashing in their bonds to afford necessary medications or be disqualified from state prescription coverage for doing so. My bill would take this predicament off the table and keep more money in the pockets of our older neighbors,” Abney, D-Allegheny, said. “I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for passing this personal and financial investment in our state elders and look forward to seeing it become law.” PACE is funded entirely by the Pennsylvania Lottery and has helped more than 1.6 million PA seniors pay for more than 360 million prescriptions. PACE and PACENET currently serve more than 250,000 older Pennsylvanians. The bill is Abney’s first as a state Read more
Benham urges state Senate vote on legislation to reform PBM practices Read more
BRADDOCK, June 27 – New funding of $60,000 will lay the groundwork for improved pedestrian and bike paths in Swissvale and Wilkinsburg, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the grants, which include $30,000 to each borough under the WalkWorks program, will help both communities develop Active Transportation Plans to increase physical activity. “Having access to a network of safe trails and bike paths that connect to local destinations is a great motivator for folks to get outside and reap the health benefits of walking and biking,” Salisbury said. “These grants will support planning for these improvements and allow both boroughs to gather the information and community input they need to move forward. “It’s going to be exciting seeing these improved pedestrian- and bike-friendly routes take shape.” Funding for the grants is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant program and from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation through the Environmental Stewardship Fund. More information is available here: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=1884#:~:text=Harrisburg%2C%20PA%20%2D%20The%20Pennsylvania%20Department,improved%20pedestrian%2C%20bicycle%2C%20and%20transit . Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, has introduced a bill that would provide money to Pennsylvania individuals and families seeking to own their own home. Powell’s legislation ( H.B. 2454 ) would establish the Affordable Homeownership Program under the state Department of Community and Economic Development . The program would award grants to sponsoring organizations, who would then provide the funds to individuals or households with annual incomes between 60% and 120% of the area median income. Qualifying applicants would be able to use these funds for projects such as: Home purchasing assistance programs. Home repairs. Work force housing programs. Acquiring residential properties. Designing and constructing properties. Asset management studies of properties. Social and environmental studies of properties. Homeownership education programs. Land trusts acquiring properties (Homeowners would need to maintain at least 40% of the equity on the property). “The median home price shot through the roof to nearly $225,000 in March of this year and continues to climb. This, combined with other factors, has pushed owning a home away from reality and closer to fantasy for many Pennsylvanians,” Powell said. “Home ownership is not only part of the American dream, it’s crucial to building and fostering strong communities. My bill would benefit PA and all neighbors who call it home.” Grant Read more
“Today’s vote marks a significant step in removing barriers to speech therapy for families who might not seek treatment for their child because their insurance may not cover it,” Markosek said. “Starting speech therapy at a young age was a game-changer for me, and it helped me build confidence in not letting my stutter define me. By ensuring that speech therapy is covered by insurance, we are giving children who stutter the support they need and the opportunity to thrive.” Read more
Being accepted into a union apprenticeship program offers many benefits, such as job security, access to educational and training programs, and collective bargaining power. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – Majority House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel hailed his panel’s approval Wednesday of bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing health care disparities in rural areas by providing grants for the payment of education debt of physicians, nurses and midwives. “When rural facilities cannot attract or retain health care professionals, they can’t keep their doors open, and patients have to travel increasing distances to get basic preventative or emergency care – that’s bad for outcomes, and it’s bad for this commonwealth,” said Frankel, who worked with Republican Health Chair Kathy Rapp to develop the bill ( H.B. 2382 ). “The foundation of our health care system is its workers, so that’s where any effort to support rural health institutions must begin.” The bill received unanimous approval by the committee. The panel also approved legislation introduced by Reps. Lisa Borowski and Paul Takac that would provide more oversight of mergers and other transactions that could threaten access to health services in the commonwealth. The bill ( H.B. 2344 ) would require health systems to file notice and documentation to the Office of the Attorney General before completing critical transactions and provide the Attorney General’s office with the tools needed to do their job of protecting the interests of health care consumers. “Health systems tend Read more
Legislation to help victims of landslides eligible for full vote in PA House Read more
“H.B. 350 is a much needed, commonsense reform that will update our parentage laws by providing uniform clarity, while recognizing what thousands of PA families already know -- that families come in every size and shape imaginable, and our laws must provide security for them all,” said Miller. Read more
Newly listed grant opportunities Read more
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