Honored by Public Television | Modernizing Treasury

Honored by Public Television | Modernizing Treasury | Welcoming People from Erie

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro June 12, 2025 | 4:09 PM

PA Representative Ryan Bizzarro's banner image

$350,000 IN GRANTS TO IMPROVE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

Earlier this week, four county organizations received a combined $350,000 to improve housing affordability and decrease homelessness across the region.

Housing is undoubtedly a human right, so I applaud these organizations that are working to make it as affordable, accessible and equitable as possible. This is vital funding that will go a long way toward putting a roof over the heads of more Erie County residents and provide them with financial literacy resources. Read more here.

WHO'S A GROUCH NOW?

I was never happier to be in the company of a grouch!

This week I was humbled to receive the 2025 Pennsylvania PBS Champion of Lifelong Learning Good Neighbor Award.

Children’s educational programming is as important today as it was when it first began, and I applaud PBS stations across Pennsylvania for providing decades of engaging and informative television shows. They’ve been a true community asset and a staple on family televisions for years.

It was great to see Cindy Spizarny, the president/CEO at WQLN, and Alyson Amendola, the VP of Advancement, who continue to help make Erie's public media station a place where learning is brought to life. Read more here.

GET AN UPDATE ON YOUR REBATE

This event is for people who are filing for the first time AND residents who have already filed with our office and want to check the status of their rebate.

If you're a first-timer to the Property Tax & Rent Rebate Program and you're not sure what to bring with you, you can find a helpful checklist here – or call my office for details. Join us on Monday, June 23 in my district office in Millcreek at Peninsula Plaza, located at 1101 Peninsula Dr.

HOW WE VOTED

I'm working to deliver a budget that helps the people in our region!

This week, the House passed my bill to help modernize the Treasury (HB 1189) and return your property and belongings in a timely manner. It was just one of a number of important measures that cleared the House and advanced to the Senate for consideration.

For the second consecutive session, the House passed a bill to raise the minimum wage from $7.25. Every single PA neighbor – including West Virginia – has a higher minimum wage than PA, but we still need the Senate to act in order to give our workers a much-needed raise (HB 1549). Ranked dead last in the nation, PA needs to do a better job of supporting its workers.

We passed a measure to slash junk fees by ticket resellers (HB 967).

Noting the teacher shortage, we cut all teacher certification fees to $50 (HB 1402).

We passed a measure to require AEDs at school athletic events to protect the lives of our young athletes and spectators (HB 191).

House Dems continued their work to improve maternal health, voting to require insurance coverage for blood pressure monitors for expecting and new mothers (HB1088).

The House passed a measure to permit Sunday hunting, repealing the Sunday hunting ban (HB 1431).

The House also continued its effort to provide justice for childhood sexual abuse survivors, allowing them to file previously barred claims (HB 462, HB 464).

You can see how we voted on all bills here.

MY BILL PASSES HOUSE

I authored a bill that passed the House this week. It would help modernize the state Treasury by ensuring property valued up to $10,000 would be automatically returned to its owner. Unclaimed property is usually caused by a misspelled name or out-of-date address, which results in the state Treasury holding the belongings as unclaimed property. My bill would help end the process of residents needing to search databases and fill out forms to recover lost paychecks and any property totaling up to $10,000. Read more here.

SUPPORTING WORKERS

I joined House Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford in talking with union leaders on improving the lives of workers across PA.

Workers turned out in full force Tuesday in Harrisburg. I would like to thank Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, UFCW Local 1776, Pennsylvania's Building & Construction Trades Council, United Steelworkers, Wendell W. Young IV, Erie's Angela Ferritto, Rob Bair, and Michael Ford – and all the union leaders and organizers who came to the Capitol asking for more support for PA workers.

FAIRLY FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS

Fairly funding our schools has been one of my priorities. This week, I met with Karen Haas, a retired teacher from the Erie City School District, advocating on behalf of PSEA - PA State Education Association and all public schools.

SPEAKER VISITS WITH PEOPLE FROM ERIE

Erie County and the Jefferson Educational Society filled every room they went into this week in Harrisburg – including crowding into my office for an impromptu question-and-answer session. They brought energy and asked questions about the legislative process. On Monday, the Speaker of the House Rep. Joanna McClinton joined us. We also took time at lunch as Rep. Merski and I explained our background in politics.

JEFFERSON EDUCACTIONAL SOCIETY

The Jefferson Society met with Lt. Governor Austin Davis on Day 2, providing young leaders from Erie with another opportunity to talk about issues facing our community and state.

SENIOR VOUCHERS

Senior vouchers are available once again this year in our region for the purchase of fresh foods and vegetables. Please note, the Bayfront Convention Center (June 30) and Fairview Tri-Boro Senior Center (July 7) distribution events are happening in the next several weeks. Find more information here.

WORRIED ABOUT SUMMER UTILITIES?

Recent reports reveal utility providers have made extensive preparations to meet expected summer electricity demands, including system upgrades, emergency response planning, and coordination with regional partners. Read more here. If you are looking to take control of your energy bill, you can find tips here.

POLICY COMMITTEE WORK

As a member of the House Majority Leadership team, I serve as Chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee. We travel the state, exploring issues and talking to members of the community, workers, advocates and experts on a variety of topics. We examine issues to see if there is a legislative solution to improving lives across the commonwealth. We have hosted 22 hearings across 15 ZIP codes in 7 counties so far this year, and we expect to host 100+ hearings this session – which is our typical workload.

READY TO HELP YOU GET YOUR REBATE

My office helped more than 1,200 people receive their Property Tax & Rent Rebate last year. This state program helps older Pennsylvanians, widows, widowers and people with disabilities recover a portion of what they paid in property taxes or rent during the previous year. Contact us if you have questions or need help applying. Please remember, no appointments are necessary, if you need assistance stop by or contact us!

My office in Millcreek Township is located in Peninsula Plaza at 1101 Peninsula Drive, Suite 213, Erie, PA 16505. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SAFEGUARDING OUR SCHOOLS

When private for-profit schools and their dark money backers came after Fairview and Millcreek School Districts to siphon off taxpayer dollars to make a profit off taxpayers. I stopped them. We need to protect our high-performing schools!

My team and I deliver for local people & projects. We cut the red tape in Harrisburg to secure the support our region needs.

When our schools need funding ...
When our police officers need a new vehicle to preserve lives ...
When our firefighters need funds for life-saving equipment ...

We delivered to the tune of more than $92 million during the 2023-24 legislative session.

MY TEAM IS IN FAIRVIEW EVERY WEDNESDAY

I wanted to remind folks that my team and I hold Wednesday office hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairview Township Building, 7471 McCray Road, Fairview, PA 16415.

The cornerstone of my office is service to you, our neighbors. By holding office hours at the township, we're making it easier for folks to reach us, so we can help them.

MONTHLY VETERANS SERVICE PROGRAM

On the third Thursday of each month, my team and I are proud to host a Veterans Service Officer from the VFW to be available to members of our community.

I am happy to help provide this assistance to our area veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our nation. The next appointments will be:

Thursday, June 19
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1101 Peninsula Drive
Reserve a spot: 814-835-2880

MULTIPLE WAYS WE CAN HELP

Do you or does someone you know need help accessing state programs or services? Have a question about a state program or law and don’t know where to go? My team and I stand ready to help on a range of issues, including:

Unemployment or the PUA system.
FREE notary (excludes title transfers).
Property Tax/Rent Rebates for seniors.
Voter registration and vote by mail.
Problems with the Department of Human Services (food stamps, medical and income assistance).
Car registrations, special tags, handicap placards, titles and driver’s license applications.
Information on financial assistance for higher education.
Obtaining and completing state forms of all kinds.
Birth and death certificates.
Pennsylvania income tax questions or problems.
Complaints or questions about utilities and the Public Utility Commission.
Complaints and problems with insurance companies.
Renewal of state-issued licenses or certifications.
Problems or questions about the state lottery.
PACE cards for senior citizens.
Consumer complaints.

For help, or to speak with me or a staff member about an issue, please don't hesitate to contact my office.

MY TEAM & I CAN HELP YOU!

Helping people apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and all the PennDOT services they need are just two of the ways my team and I serve the community. We help thousands of people each year. We can help you fill out the forms you need and get them to Harrisburg for FREE.

If you have any state government-related questions, stop by and let us help you.

SUBMIT REQUESTS ONLINE OR IN PERSON

My team and I are always working for you! My Millcreek office at 1101 Peninsula Drive, Suite 213, Erie is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also call 814-835-2880 or email RepBizzarro@pahouse.net if you need help with state government concerns.

Have questions outside of office hours? We have an online form – the Community Help Center – so that you can submit your request(s) for help with state-related programs and services 24/7. This form is available by clicking below or visiting my website – www.repbizzarro.com.

REP. BIZZARRO'S COMMUNITY HELP CENTER