Today, the Pennsylvania Senate unanimously approved legislation sponsored by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., that would permit mortgage lenders to offer discount points to borrowers to lower their interest rate and monthly payments. House Bill 1103 now awaits the signature of Gov. Josh Shapiro for it to be enacted into law. Read more
Following this morning’s announcement by SEPTA of their deadline to avoid initial service cuts in the absence of state funding, Philadelphia state Rep. Morgan Cephas, chairwoman of the Philadelphia House Delegation, issued the following statement:“Our deadline to avoid service cuts is now as real as ever with SEPTA drawing their line on the tracks today. We have eight days, but we’re hopeful that the actions of the House Transportation Committee this afternoon will build the necessary consensus to overcome this impasse and keep our city working and economy moving.” Read more
Here are multiple grant programs that are currently open for applications. Read more
Members of the Philadelphia House Delegation held a press conference at Abraham Lincoln High School in Northeast Philadelphia, calling on the PA Senate to pass funding for public transit. Read more
As Chair of the Philadelphia House Delegation Rep. Morgan Cephas knows how vital SEPTA is to the city and surrounding regions. Cephas is calling on the #PASenate to return to Harrisburg and take action on the state budget, which would provide needed funding to keep SEPTA running. Read more
“Our systems are meeting the moment and addressing every single concern that Republicans are bringing up. The one thing that I need them to shift on is actually funding the actual system like it should be funded,” (Cephas) said. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Broadband Development Authority: Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program Who May Apply: Cooperative organizations, non-profit organizations, public-private partnerships, private companies, public or private utility companies, public utility districts, municipalities or units of local government, internet service providers registered through the FCC Use: Deploying and/or upgrading broadband network facilities, data collection, broadband mapping and broadband planning Funds: Pennsylvania received $1,161,778,242 in federal funding pursuant to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. This is the second round of BEAD funding. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount for any project Application Deadline: August 1, 2025 More information: PBDA Website Historical & Museum Commission: Cultural and Historical Support Grants Who May Apply: Museums located in Pennsylvania with annual operating budgets exceeding $100,000 and at least one full-time professional staff person or an official county historical society. Use: To strengthen Pennsylvania’s museums and allow applicants to determine how to use funds for operating expenses Funds: Grant awards range from $2,500 to $65,000 Application Deadline: August 22, 2025 More information: PHMC Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Sequential Intercept Model Training Initiative (SIM) Read more
Today, the PA House of Representatives passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., to protect homeowners from unknowingly losing their home and generational wealth. Senior citizens and other homeowners on a fixed income often refinance their home utilizing a reverse mortgage based on the benefit of an immediate financial gain without fully understanding the long-term outcome of the agreement. House Bill 1466 would ensure that anyone entering this type of transaction receives face-to-face financial counseling to make homeowners aware of the risks associated with a reverse mortgage. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Transportation: Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Who May Apply: Local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, school districts, tribal governments or nonprofits with a separate eligible applicant. Use: To construct pedestrian and bicycle facilities, improve access to public transportation, create safe routes to school, incorporate community improvements such as historic preservation and vegetation management, provide environmental mitigation related to stormwater and habitat connectivity, create trail projects that serve a transportation purpose, and provide for vulnerable road user safety assessment program projects. Funds: $80 million in funding is available through the Federal Highway Administration’s Surface Block Grant Program. Awards will be at least $50,000 and at maximum $1.5 million. This is a reimbursement program and no funds are provided upfront. Application Deadline: Webinar will be held July 9, 2025. Application period opens July 14, 2025. Draft applications due September 5, 2025. Final applications due October 31, 2025 More information: PennDOT Website PROGRAMS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Department of Community and Economic Development: PA SITES Who May Apply: Municipalities, economic development organizations, redevelopment authorities, municipal authorities, industrial Read more
“This act will increase our effort to protect Pennsylvania taxpayers from the haphazard actions and unlawful abuses at the federal level,” said Cephas, who represents portions of Philadelphia. “We can’t let Washington promise to fund and invest in health care, services and Pennsylvania businesses, only to have contracts canceled because of a change in administration and the extremist actions inside the D.C. Beltway.” Read more
“Properly funding SEPTA is an investment in all communities across PA. Our regional economy is a main driver for statewide prosperity. What benefits Philadelphia, benefits all of Pennsylvania, and SEPTA is a crucial key to our success. The cost of allowing mass transit to wither will be seen in additional traffic and longer commutes on already over-burdened roads and bridges; a weakened economy across the state, not just in Philly; environmental impacts from more cars on the road; and a less competitive job market for our region." Read more
Employees who are eligible to receive overtime pay work in some of the nation's most vital professions, such as nursing, health care, retail, hospitality, construction and manufacturing, for example. Many are not highly paid and must carefully manage their budgets to make ends meet. Today, the state House Finance Committee held a public hearing on legislation that would establish a state-level income tax credit for overtime wages, so that these hardworking employees get more back at tax season. Read more
“This event is always a highlight of the summer kickoff in West Philly,” said Cephas, D-Phila. “It’s about celebrating our community, propelling economic development, and creating a space for joy—and this year was truly a celebration where we also got to honor the Juneteenth holiday. Even with the rain, West Philly showed up and showed out. That’s what our community looks like.” Read more
The Philadelphia House Delegation reacted this afternoon to House passage of a proposal to fund mass transit systems and transportation projects across the commonwealth. House Bill 1364 sponsored by Chairman of the House Transportation Committee Ed Neilson, D-Phila., would mirror Governor Shapiro’s proposal to increase the transfer of existing sales tax revenue to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4% to 6.15% providing an expected additional $1.5 billion for transit systems over the next five years. Read more
The co-chairs of the Pennsylvania Black Maternal Health Caucus on Monday held their PA MOMNIBUS 2025 Day at the state Capitol. The events of the day were held to observe the progress of the group in the previous legislative session and highlight the new PA MOMNIBUS 2.0 legislative package for the 2025-26 session. Read more
Co-chair of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus Rep. Morgan Cephas looks to build on last year's progress in improving maternal health outcomes for Black mothers in the commonwealth. She says the PA MOMNIBUS 2.0 package of bills would improve access to prenatal care, postpartum checkups, mental health services, and life saving treatments for high risk pregnancies. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commonwealth Financing Authority: Mixed-Use Revitalization Program Who May Apply: Developers (person or business entity with a demonstrated history of advancing commercial or mixed-use redevelopment projects Use: A community revitalization project that promotes economic growth and includes commercial assets. Eligible projects must be on at least 15 acres of land, contain at least 200,000 square feet of proposed development that has not received a certificate of occupancy as of 7/11/24, and be zoned for planned end use. Funds: Grant amount shall not exceed more than twice the amount of matching funds provided by the developer or $3,000,000, whichever is less. Application Deadline: August 31, 2025 More information: CFA Website Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Grant Who May Apply: Individuals or organizations focused on agriculture research Use: Research on topic areas listed here Funds: All funding is contingent upon 2025-2026 budget appropriations Application Deadline: July 25, 20225 More information: PDA website PROGRAMS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Department of Community and Economic Development: PA SITES Who May Apply: Municipalities, economic development organizations, redevelopment authorities, municipal authorities, industrial development agencies, and for-profit organizations. Use: To develop competitive sites for businesses to relocate or expand within Pennsylvania. Funds: Read more
Below are multiple grant programs that are currently open for applications. NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Transportation: School Bus Safety Grant Program Who May Apply: Independent school bus contractors, school entities, and municipalities Use: To promote and increase school bus safety, education, and training, as well as pay for education, training, and other associated costs related to an individual earning their commercial learner's permit, commercial driver's license, or school bus endorsement for the purpose of driving a school bus in Pennsylvania. Funds: $1.2 million in funds are available through the School Bus Safety Grant Program. Grant awards will not exceed $100,000. Application Deadline: July 3, 2025 More information: PennDOT website Department of Environmental Protection: Pennsylvania Grid Resilience Grant Program Who May Apply: An electric grid operator, an electricity storage operator, an electricity generator, a transmission owner or operator, a distribution provider, a fuel supplier, and any other relevant entity, as determined by DEP in consultation with DOE. Use: To implement resilience measures throughout PA intended to mitigate the impact of electric grid disruptive events. Funds: $8 million in grant awards is available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Application Deadline: Concept Paper submission availability will close at Read more
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