News Center

State House passes legislation to protect vaccine access across Pennsylvania

(2 hours ago) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – In the wake of major changes to a federal vaccine advisory panel that could threaten Pennsylvanians’ access to life-saving immunizations, the state House has passed legislation that would protect access to recommended vaccines, the bill’s co-prime sponsors, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan and Bridget Kosierowski -- all health professionals -- announced. The legislation, H.B. 1828 , would require private insurers to cover vaccines that have been recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The department would be able to draw upon the expertise of professional medical societies in that recommendation, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Venkat said this legislation is needed to ensure that critical immunization protections remain available to Pennsylvanians after recent developments from the federal government. “We have seen the firing of all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and their replacement with several anti-vaccine activists. We have also seen the firing and resignation of the entire leadership of the CDC due to their unwillingness to support anti-vaccine Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Oct 27, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS PennDOT: Green Light-Go Program Who May Apply: Municipalities and planning organizations. Use: To improve existing traffic control signals, such as LED replacement, traffic signal retiming, and studies, among other projects. Funds: Up to $40 million is available and projects require a 20% match. Application Deadline: Pre-application scoping forms will be accepted until January 2, 2026. PennDOT will provide comments by February 28, 2026. The full application window will be between March 1, 2026, and March 31, 2026. More information: PennDOT website Conservation and Natural Resources: Volunteer Fire Assistance Who May Apply: Volunteer fire companies in rural areas or communities under 10,000 in population Use: To prevent, control, and suppress the threat of wildfires through the purchase of wildfire suppression equipment, wildfire protective gear, mobile radios, installation of dry hydrants, wildfire training, or wildfire prevention and mitigation Funds: Funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The maximum grant for 2025 is $15,000. Application Deadline: December 31, 2025 More information: DCNR Website PROGRAMS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Department of Community and Economic Development: PA SITES Who May Apply: Municipalities, economic development organizations, redevelopment authorities, municipal authorities, Read more

 

State lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in health care

(Oct 06, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, Oct. 6 – To ensure all Pennsylvanians, especially patients, can be assured that artificial intelligence technology is being used in a beneficial manner, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Joe Hogan, Tarik Khan, Bridget Kosierowski and Greg Scott have proposed bipartisan legislation that would regulate the application of AI in health care. AI is being rapidly implemented across the health care industry by insurers, hospitals and clinicians. It has been utilized for patient care, billing, research, claims management, utilization reviews, and assessments of cost-effectiveness. The legislation, H.B. 1925 , would provide new regulations for how AI is utilized and reported by insurers, hospitals and clinicians. These groups would need to provide transparency to patients and the public as to how AI is being used in their companies or practice settings. "As the only physician in the General Assembly, I have seen the rapid growth of AI usage in health care in real time,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “I am grateful for my bipartisan colleagues, including fellow health professionals, who are joining me on this legislation to make sure Pennsylvanians can be confident that AI is being used responsibly and effectively in the health care industry.” To prevent clinicians from overly relying on AI, the legislation would also ensure that a human decisionmaker would make the ultimate decision based on an Read more

 

Bill to protect vaccine access through pharmacists introduced in state House

(Sep 25, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, Sept. 25 – In Washington, turmoil has grown among health policy agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which oversee key aspects of public health, including vaccines. In response, state Reps. Arvind Venkat , Tarik Khan , Bridget M. Kosierowski and Jennifer M. O’Mara have introduced legislation to protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines provided by pharmacists, regardless of federal policy changes. Current state law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines based on CDC recommendations. The new legislation, H.B. 1881 , would also allow pharmacists to provide vaccines based on recommendations from Pennsylvania health authorities, which may draw from guidance issued by professional medical societies. “Chaos in federal health agency policymaking, which is no longer backed by scientific evidence but instead by anti-vaccine ideology, will cost people’s lives,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “This legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to avoid the politicization of health care and get the lifesaving vaccines they need, even if the federal government stops recommending them purely due to politics.” Under the proposal, state vaccination approvals would come from Pennsylvania’s health authorities and could be informed by professional medical societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Sep 25, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP) Implementation Who May Apply: Non-profit entities and institutions of higher education Use: To assess the quality of services provided to system-involved youth, support providers in creating and implementing quality improvement plans, and measure progress through follow-up evaluations. Funds: A total of $1,400,000 in state Violence and Delinquency Prevention Programs funds is being announced to support this initiative. PCCD expects to fund one grant with a budget not to exceed $1,400,000 over the 18-month project period. Application Deadline: October 14, 2025 More information: PCCD Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Law Enforcement and Youth R/ED Training Who May Apply: Any organization that can demonstrate the ability to provide training and technical assistance to members of law enforcement interacting with youth in their communities, including, but not limited to, police, probation, and school personnel. Use: To provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement entities across the Commonwealth to improve interactions with youth in their communities. Funds: A total of $250,000 in federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention funds is being announced to support this initiative. PCCD expects to fund one grant with a budget not to exceed $250,000 over the two-year Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Sep 11, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Office of the State Fire Commissioner: Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Who May Apply: All fire companies, emergency medical services, and volunteer rescue squads Use: Facility improvements, equipment purchases, debt reduction, training, education, and recruitment and retention Funds: Grants will be not less than $2,500 and not more than $20,000 per applicant fire company and no more than $15,000 per applicant emergency medical service. Application Deadline: October 20, 2025 More information: OSFC Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) Who May Apply: Counties, county jails/county work release centers, Single County Authorities, and/or County Behavioral Health Administrators. Use: To support counties seeking to increase opportunities to provide Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) in combination with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to individuals in county jails and work release centers and upon release to the community. Funds: A total of $1,130,905 in federal Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) funds is being announced to support this initiative. RSAT funds require a 25 percent cash or in-kind match. The applicant’s source for the cash match must be state or local funds. Federal funds may not be used to meet the match requirement. PCCD expects to fund approximately five grants with budgets not to Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Sep 02, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Office of the Budget: Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) Who May Apply: Applicants must have been previously itemized in a Capital Budget Project Itemization Act. Use: Applicants can use funds for the purposes prescribed in the Capital Budget Project Itemization Act. Funds: Varied. Application Deadline: September 23, 2025 More information: OB website Department of Community and Economic Development: Local Share Account Statewide Who May Apply: Counties, municipalities, municipal authorities, economic development agencies, redevelopment authorities, land banks, or councils of government. Non-profits may partner with an eligible applicant to apply on their behalf. Use: Projects in the public interest. Projects that improve the quality of life of citizens in the community. Eligible projects must be owned and maintained by an eligible applicant or a nonprofit organization. Funds: The PA Race Horse Development and Gaming Act provides for the distribution of gaming revenues through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to support projects in the public interest. Grant requests must be at a minimum $25,000 and no more than $1,000,000. Application Deadline: November 30, 2025 More information: DCED Website Department of Agriculture: Agriculture and Youth Organization Grant Program Who May Apply: Agriculture and youth organizations, Read more

 

State lawmakers to introduce legislation to protect access to vaccines through pharmacists

(Sep 02, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, Sept. 2 – In Washington, there has been increasing turmoil among health policy agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that handle many important aspects of public health, including vaccines. Because of this, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan, Bridget M. Kosierowski and Jennifer M. O’Mara intend to introduce legislation that would protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines provided by pharmacists regardless of federal policy changes. Current state law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines based on federal recommendations from the CDC. This new legislation would allow pharmacists to provide vaccines also based on recommendations from state health authorities, which may be informed by professional medical societies. “We will very soon see pharmacies cease their providing of certain vaccines due to the ongoing political turmoil in our federal health agencies, including the CDC,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny . “Chaos in federal health agency policymaking, which is no longer backed by scientific evidence, but instead by anti-vaccine ideology, will cost people’s lives. This legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to avoid this politicization of healthcare and get the life-saving vaccines they need, even if the federal government stops recommending them purely due to politics.” State vaccination administration approvals would additionally come from Read more

 

State budget, transit funding stalled; changes to SNAP, and more!

(Aug 29, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

State budget, transit funding stalled; changes to SNAP, and more! Read more

 

Summer 2025 Newsletter

(Aug 21, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

Read my Summer 2025 newsletter to constituents, which contains a legislative update, state program information, upcoming events and more. Read more

 

Protecting Your Wallet, Cutting Your Costs

(Aug 01, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

Protecting Your Wallet, Cutting Your Costs Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Jul 31, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

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

 

State lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in health care

(Jul 28, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, July 28 – Artificial Intelligence is being rapidly implemented across the health care industry by insurers, hospitals, and clinicians. It has been utilized for patient care, billing, research, claims management, utilization reviews, and assessments of cost-effectiveness. To ensure all Pennsylvanians, especially patients, can be assured that this technology is being used in a beneficial manner, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Joe Hogan, Tarik Khan, Bridget Kosierowski, and Greg Scott are proposing bipartisan legislation that would regulate the application of AI in health care. Read more

 

A fair day's pay for a hard day's work

(Jul 25, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

Dear Neighbor, A fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work. Someone who works hard shouldn’t be losing ground every payday. Someone who works hard should be able to afford the necessities – food, utilities, a safe place to live. For too long the billionaire special interests have kept worker pay low while prices – and profits– soar, but now there is finally some good news. I voted to pass the Raise the Wage Act, a real-world plan to give hundreds of thousands of working people their first raise since 2009 in a way that works for every community and provide future raises to the cost of living so Pennsylvania’s workers will never have to be tied for dead last in America on payday ever again. Read more

 

Unlock your next job opportunity with PA CareerLink

(Jul 18, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

Unlock your next job opportunity with PA CareerLink Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Jul 17, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Community and Economic Development: Main Street Matters (MSM) Who May Apply: Units of local government, redevelopment and/or housing authorities, nonprofits, economic development organizations, housing corporations, community development corporations, business improvement districts, neighborhood improvement districts, downtown improvement districts, and similar organizations incorporated as authorities. Use: A flexible tool for use in community and economic development for a variety of uses including planning activities, façade grant programs, business improvement grant programs, accessible housing programs, and district development grants. Funds: Individual grant awards vary depending on the type of grant. Application Deadline: August 31, 2025 More information: DCED Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) Who May Apply: Municipalities and counties Use: Advance crisis intervention programs that target the risk factors likely to lead to gun violence and implement projects that support emerging issues and priorities adopted within its SCIP Funding Framework. Funds: A combined total of $4,071,291 in federal FY 2022-2023 and FY 2024 Byrne SCIP Local and Under $10K Share funds is being announced to support this initiative. PCCD expects to fund approximately 20 grants with budgets not to exceed $200,000 over the Read more

 

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities

(Jul 08, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

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

 

Kosierowksi’s bill to address PA nursing shortage approved by Labor & Industry Committee

(Jul 01, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

HARRISBURG, July 1 — Legislation to support and sustain a strong, well-trained nursing workforce across Pennsylvania that was introduced by state Rep. Bridget Kosierowski was approved by the House Labor & Industry Committee today. The legislation, H.B. 1676 , addresses Pennsylvania’s growing nursing shortage. According to a Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania survey, Pennsylvania hospitals reported that an average of 14 percent of their nursing positions are unfilled, leaving existing nurses stretched thin and working longer hours. The situation is projected to worsen, with the state expected to face a shortage of 20,000 nurses by 2026. “Nurses are an integral part of our healthcare system, from providing critical bedside care to educating patients and families to advocating for patient needs with hospital staff,” said Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna. “Without them, our healthcare system won’t be able to provide lifesaving care to the public.” According to Kosierowski, fewer people entering the nursing profession has created an untenable workplace situation of longer hours and greater patient loads, causing many nurses to leave the profession due to high stress and burnout. In addition, many nurses are at retirement age and are expected to soon leave the profession. The result of having fewer nurses on hospital staffs has negatively impacted patient care, with increased mortality rates and diminished Read more

 

Kosierowski helps secure $413K for local anti-poverty non-profit

(Jun 27, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

SCRANTON, June 27 —State Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Scranton, announced today she helped the nonprofit Friends of the Poor secure $413,013 in state infrastructure grants from the PA Department of Agriculture. Friends of the Poor, a Scranton nonprofit whose mission is to alleviate the burden of poverty and help to enhance the quality of life in low- to moderate-income communities, will use the funding to create a centralized cold-storage food distribution hub that will streamline nonprofit and farmer access to fresh food for thousands of residents. “I was honored to be in a position to help Friends of the Poor, a wonderful Scranton-based nonprofit, access critical funding that will enable them to develop the infrastructure that will give thousands of food-insecure members of our community access to fresh, nutritious food for their families and themselves” Kosierowski said. “The funding comes from a new, innovative program, Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure, which is an example of the great good that can be accomplished through federal and state partnerships.” The funding comes through Pennsylvania’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program — a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program provides dollar-for-dollar matching grants to support food processing, distribution, and aggregation from multiple farms to help meet demand for local, seasonal, and fresh food. For qualifying Read more

 

Venkat, Khan, Kosierowski to introduce legislation that would mandate insurance coverage for FDA-approved, medically recommended vaccines

(Jun 27, 2025) Rep. Bridget M. Kosierowski

Kosierowski said, “As a nurse for nearly three decades, I know that access to recommended vaccines – particularly for children – prevent individuals from falling sick to or even dying from preventable diseases. In these unstable times when scientific and medical expertise is discounted by those in power, this necessary legislation would help protect public health by requiring that private insurance and Medicaid cover access to vaccines already approved by the Food and Drug Administration and recommended by professional medical societies. We cannot allow medical quackery to discount decades of proven research in vaccine science and endanger our health and strain our already overwhelmed public health infrastructure.” Read more

 

State House passes legislation to protect vaccine access across Pennsylvania
2 hours ago

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Oct 27, 2025

State lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in health care
Oct 06, 2025

Bill to protect vaccine access through pharmacists introduced in state House
Sep 25, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Sep 25, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Sep 11, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Sep 02, 2025

State lawmakers to introduce legislation to protect access to vaccines through pharmacists
Sep 02, 2025

State budget, transit funding stalled; changes to SNAP, and more!
Aug 29, 2025

Summer 2025 Newsletter
Aug 21, 2025

Protecting Your Wallet, Cutting Your Costs
Aug 01, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Jul 31, 2025

State lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in health care
Jul 28, 2025

A fair day's pay for a hard day's work
Jul 25, 2025

Unlock your next job opportunity with PA CareerLink
Jul 18, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Jul 17, 2025

Agricultural, Environmental, Public Safety, Redevelopment, Transportation, and Additional Grant Opportunities
Jul 08, 2025

Kosierowksi’s bill to address PA nursing shortage approved by Labor & Industry Committee
Jul 01, 2025

Kosierowski helps secure $413K for local anti-poverty non-profit
Jun 27, 2025

Venkat, Khan, Kosierowski to introduce legislation that would mandate insurance coverage for FDA-approved, medically recommended vaccines
Jun 27, 2025