Local emergencies in Pottstown, District Office Holiday schedule, Harrisburg update

Rep. Joseph Ciresi November 21, 2025 | 1:52 PM

Dear Neighbor,

Office Hours Thanksgiving Week

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, my office will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 26 – Friday, Nov. 28, and will reopen on Monday morning, Dec. 1.

I hope you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones.

A Tough Week for Pottstown

This has been a tough week for Pottstown.

Early Friday morning, a fire devastated Invictus Church at Hanover and Chestnut streets. By 9:30 a.m., the Borough of Pottstown declared the blaze under control. As part of an ongoing tactical safety operation, the structure was allowed to burn in a controlled manner. This decision was made to protect firefighters and ensure the safety of surrounding properties, according to the borough.

My heart goes out to everyone who is impacted. I want to thank the many fire, EMS, and police personnel who rushed to the scene to protect people and property. Mayor Stephanie Henrick declared a local state of emergency, which will help resources flow more quickly.

My office is prepared to extend assistance from commonwealth resources, whenever possible.

At the other end of Pottstown on Monday, I stood should-to-shoulder with nurses, community members, and my colleague, Rep. Paul Friel, to decry Tower Health’s recent announcement of 350 layoffs (including 131 at Pottstown Hospital). If Tower placed people over profit, they would not be shuttering the ICU, endoscopy unit, and McGlinn Cancer Institute. If you agree, consider signing this petition.

Our community deserves a top-notch health system. I am in regular contact with Tower officials and the hospital’s union (PASNAP). Look for news in the coming days of a town hall on this topic.

House Communications & Technology Committee holds public hearing on school panic alarms legislation

In a step to increase school safety for students and teachers, the PA House Communications & Technology Committee which I chair held a public hearing Monday on legislation (H.B. 634) introduced by state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, that would require schools to consider implementing silent panic alarm buttons in classrooms during the annual review of their safety and security practices.

The alarms would be linked directly with law enforcement responders and could be used to signal a life-threatening emergency.

The legislation is modeled after “Alyssa’s Law,” named for 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, who was murdered along with 17 others in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. In the wake of the shooting, Alyssa’s parents and fellow advocates have fought for the passage of laws to require or permit schools to install silent panic alarm buttons in classrooms.

Learn more: House Communications & Technology Committee holds public hearing on school panic alarms legislation

Pa. legislature clears my bill to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one

My bill to make it easier and less expensive for Pennsylvanians to claim property that is rightfully theirs — and reduce the financial burden following the death of a loved one — is on its way to being signed into law.

Once signed into law, my H.B. 1176 will:

Increase the amount of unclaimed property that heirs can claim from the Pennsylvania Treasury using a notarized relationship affidavit from $11,000 up to $20,000.
Raise the amount a financial institution may release to a family member of a deceased individual from $10,000 to $20,000 if the family member presents a receipt verifying funeral expenses have been paid.
Redirect the estates of decedents who die with no will and no heirs to an endowed community fund near the place of the decedent’s last residence.

Learn more here: Pa. legislature clears Ciresi’s bill to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one

Legislative Update: Bills We Passed This Week in Harrisburg

HB 1528 passed the House this week was sent to the Senate for consideration. It would help grandparents caring for grandchildren by providing emergency grants to grandparents faced with primary caregiver expenses for grandchildren whose parents are undergoing an opioid use disorder treatment program.

On its way to Governor’s Desk to be Signed into Law:

HB 439—The PA CROWN Act—will amend the PA Human Relations Act to prohibit discrimination based on a person's hair type, hair texture, or hairstyle.

SB 88 will reduce financial burden for patients facing breast cancer by requiring health insurance policies to cover medically necessary diagnostic breast exams, including MRI or ultrasound, without patient cost sharing. The House passed a similar bill in May – HB 433.

HB 923 will shield seniors from losing PACE and PACENET prescription eligibility if their annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment exceeds normal income eligibility guidelines. This protection currently is in place until Dec. 31, 2025. The bill will extend it for two more years -- until Dec. 31, 2027.

SB 520 will expand the list of law enforcement personnel who can wear body cameras -- deputy law enforcement officers with the Fish & Boat Commission and the Game Commission, DCNR Rangers and State Park Officers--providing an accurate account of officer engagement, protecting the public and officers alike.

America250PA Semiquincentennial Scholarship Program

To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary and honor Pennsylvania’s strong commitment to education, America250PA will award $250,000 in scholarships to deserving Pennsylvania students attending in-state colleges next school year.

Any Pennsylvania high school senior planning to attend a college or university in Pennsylvania for the 2026–27 academic year is eligible to apply. Twenty-five scholarships of $10,000 each will be awarded.

Applications are due Jan. 31, 2026. More details, including matching opportunities from partner institutions, can be found here.

Route 422 updates

Motorists are advised of the following travel restrictions:

Monday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 6:00 AM to 2:00 PM, lane closures will be in place on westbound U.S. 422 between the Sanatoga (Evergreen Road) and Hanover Street interchanges.

Monday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 25, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, lane closures will be in place on eastbound U.S. 422 between the Hanover Street and Sanatoga (Evergreen Road) interchanges.

Drivers are also reminded that Sanatoga Road remains closed and detoured between Linfield Road and High Street through Monday, Dec. 1, for demolition of the westbound side of the bridge over U.S. 422. Motorists are being directed to use High Street, Evergreen Road, and Linfield Road.

Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling near or through the work areas because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.