Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility Finance Committee hears testimony on Salisbury bill to ensure lower-income community groups can obtain security funding

Finance Committee hears testimony on Salisbury bill to ensure lower-income community groups can obtain security funding

Would remove 33% grant match requirement for groups with lower revenue

Rep. Abigail Salisbury    July 1, 2026 | 1:50 PM

HARRISBURG, July 1 – The Pennsylvania House Finance Committee heard testimony Tuesday on state Rep. Abigail Salisbury’s legislation that would remove a major obstacle that prevents many lower-income houses of worship and other community groups from obtaining needed security funding.

Salisbury said she drafted H.B. 2639 – which would eliminate the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund’s 33% match requirement for grants ranging from $25,000 to $75,000 if a nonprofit’s annual revenue is less than $250,000 – after seeing the difficulty a church in her own district faced attempting to meet the requirement.

“After the attempted shooting at Jesus’ Dwelling Place in North Braddock, the church attempted to strengthen security, but struggled for months attempting to raise the required 33% match required for a state security grant,” Salisbury said. “It took a year and a half to finally get the necessary arrangements in place, and during that time, congregants were left to wait and wonder if they would be safe from another attack.

“No one should ever have to gamble on their safety or the safety of their loved ones simply because their chosen house of worship, cultural club, or other community group has a smaller budget. Eliminating the match requirement for these groups would ensure members of all community groups have the protections they deserve.”

The committee heard testimony from two religious leaders of small houses of worship, including Pastor Glenn Germany, who was targeted by the shooter at Jesus’ Dwelling Place before the gun misfired. Germany testified that the church’s outreach goes only to members of the community, which is financially challenged, and described the months-long struggle the church faced attempting to raise the necessary match funding. 

The committee is expected to vote on the bill in the near future.