Tell the Senate: Protect workers and help seniors

Rep. Liz Hanbidge May 2, 2025 | 3:27 PM

PA Representative Liz Hanbidge banner image

Dear Friends,

This week, I would like to discuss some bills moving through the legislative process. This past week I was mostly back in the district, although I had a wonderful day on Wednesday taking my son to “take your child to work day” at the Capitol. It was a special opportunity to visit different state entities within the Capitol complex as part of a “hunt” for stickers. We were able to watch a working police dog, see the trout stocking truck, match skulls and hides to animals with Game and Fishing officers, learn how to cast, and build using Legos in the state library. Older children were able to learn more about the legislative process and how bills become law. I’m always cognizant that my many nights away affect my family and I’m grateful for the sacrifices they make so I can do this work. Being able to take my son to work, even for just one day, was a wonderful learning opportunity for him and created a lot of special moments for both of us.

I was also happy to see a number of you at various community events I attended this week, including the International Spring Festival and a Town Hall on Education Funding.

One of the bills that recently passed the PA House would help extend workplace protections to public employees in our commonwealth. It has been 54 years since the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970 was signed into law by President Richard Nixon. Since OSHA was passed, workplaces have transformed and provided safeguards such as rules to protect workers exposed to asbestos, lead, and countless chemicals; rules for health care workers dealing with bloodborne pathogens; and rules for working in confined spaces.

OSHA has protected lives and prevented injuries. Yet, in the 54 years that OSHA has been law, public workers have not had the same protections in the workplace. These workers include bus drivers, water and sewer workers, teachers, EMS, police, firefighters, nurses, road crews, among others working within our communities. They go to work every day without necessary protections, and this means that some public employees have been fatally injured in ways that could have been prevented. An Erie County resident was fatally injured on the job with the local transit authority, a public sector employer that is exempt from OSHA regulations. As a result, the details of the incident and any safety concerns that would have been raised through an OSHA review have been hard to track.

House Bill 308, introduced by state Reps. Patrick Harkins (D-Erie) and Thomas Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) would extend OSHA protections to public sector workers in the commonwealth. Our employees in the public sector deserve the right to work in an environment that is free from hazards, even for those who have some of the most dangerous jobs in the state. The bill passed the House 111-92 and awaits a committee vote in the state Senate.

Currently, our commonwealth is surrounded by states that have protections for public sector employees. New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia have public sector protections in place. In New York alone, adding these protections have cut illness and injury rates by a third. Workplace injuries are costly – up to $350 billion is spent every year nationally by employers on workers’ compensation. Every day, 340 workers are killed daily on the in the U.S. Here in the commonwealth, if a worker dies on the job, the agency does not have to tell their family how it happened.

If H.B. 308 becomes law, our Department of Labor & Industry will be instructed to create effective regulations, set up procedures for inspections and reporting, and stand by workers who speak up for their own safety and safety of their colleagues. These standards will not bring businesses to a halt. An Occupational Safety and Health Review Board will be created for oversight. This board will allow employees and employers to speak at hearings to ensure a full account of events is obtained and is a first step in ensuring that preventable injuries do not occur. Should an employer be found to have failed in creating a safe workplace, the department can help employers to correct safety failures. Employers unable or unwilling to take corrective action to improve worker safety will be subject to penalties. Under this bill, repeated violations may cost an employer up to $10,000, failure to correct violations would cost $1,000 per day, and a willful violation that leads to a worker’s death can result in a $10,000 fine, six months in prison, and additional penalties. There are 600,000 dedicated public servants across our commonwealth and it is time we protect them.

Another bill that recently passed the House is H.B. 411, which provides an overdue cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to former state employees. There has not been a COLA for retired state employees in the last 20 years. Our state’s two public pension systems, State Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) and the Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS), have provided payments to our retirees, but the payments have not been sufficient with the rising cost of goods and services and many retirees are struggling. Our retirees deserve dignity and financial security. Not only does this bill provide an overdue increase, but it also allows for recurring COLA so that pensions keep up with the rate of inflation. I co-sponsored and voted for this bill in the previous session (formerly H.B. 1416). Last year it languished in the state Senate for more than a year. I hope this session the Senate will do the right thing and bring the bill up for a vote. Our seniors deserve it!

Both bills await a vote in the Senate, but they need your advocacy to continue along the legislative process. Please contact your Senator to make sure these bills come up for a vote.

If you live in North Wales Borough, Upper Gwynedd or Towamencin Townships, state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick represents you. If you are in Lower Gwynedd or Whitpain Townships, state Sen. Maria Collett represents you.

UPCOMING OFFICE EVENTS

Mobile Mammogram

Rep. Melissa Cerrato and I are partnering with Fox Chase Cancer Center to offer mammograms via their mobile screening unit on Thursday, May 8, 2025. Please call 215-214-1682 and schedule your mammogram today!

??Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month! ????

This May, my office is recognizing outstanding teachers in the North Penn and Wissahickon School Districts, and we need your help!

If you know a teacher who deserves to be recognized, send us their:
?? First and last name.
?? Grade, subject, and school they teach (or taught) at.
?? A few words on why they’re making a difference.

Email your nomination to RepHanbidge@pahouse.net and help us show appreciation for the educators who inspire students every day!