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Smith-Wade-El helps secure over $2M for Lancaster County housing assistance, homelessness prevention, home modification programs

(Jun 18, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

LANCASTER, June 18 – State Rep. Ismail Smith-Wade-El, D-Lancaster, helped secure grants totaling $2,035,000 from the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency to provide low-income and unhoused Lancastrians secure, permanent housing and give existing homeowners the resources needed to repair their aging homes. “Housing is basic human right,” Smith-Wade-El said. “But for many people due to the affordable housing crisis, it feels like an out-of-reach luxury. These PHARE grants will provide critical funding to ensure that vulnerable populations, such as individuals and families who have experienced homelessness, can find stable housing like at Dinah’s Hill Apartments, or low-income homeowners living in aging homes can make the necessary repairs to make them safe and inhabitable, as Partners with Purpose is doing. “Too often the poor are not treated with the respect they deserve as human beings, and one of the things they are forced to make do with is living in substandard public housing,” Smith-Wade-El said. “So, I am particularly thrilled that the Lancaster City’s Farnum Street East project has received $300,000 in funding to rehabilitate the public housing structure. This money will help ensure that its 169 units will be comfortable homes for some of our city's most vulnerable residents. It's what they merit as members of our community." The successful applicants receiving funding are: $35,000 for Good Read more

 

House Transportation Committee approves Dougherty bill punishing interference of public transit operators

(Jun 18, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, June 17 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Transportation Committee approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Sean Dougherty, D-Phila., that would create stronger penalties for interference with the operation or movement of a public transit vehicle. Under this legislation ( H.B. 1416 ), any interference that causes the serious bodily injury or death of an operator would be punishable as a felony. Any interference that results in bodily injury or the fear of imminent serious bodily injury or death would also be subject to significant penalties. “As public officials, it is our duty to do everything in our power to ensure the safety of all Pennsylvanians, especially those who provide essential services in our communities,” Dougherty said. “Nobody should have to fear not making it home after a day of work. I sincerely believe that this legislation will safeguard the well-being of transit operators and their passengers by strongly discouraging any form of violence against these individuals.” On the morning of Oct. 26, 2023, longtime Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority employee Bernard Gribbin was tragically shot and killed while on duty and operating a Route 23 bus in Philadelphia. Dougherty said his legislation intends to more strongly punish those who commit these acts, and hopefully prevent these acts in the future. The bill now heads to the full House for consideration. Read more

 

Prokopiak, Guenst introduce bill to help stabilize rents

(Jun 18, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, June 18 – State Reps. Jim Prokopiak and Nancy Guenst have introduced critical legislation aimed at addressing the growing housing affordability crisis in Pennsylvania. The bill is one of several initiatives being offered by the PA House Democratic Caucus to mitigate the rising cost of housing and provide relief to both renters and perspective homebuyers across the state. In Pennsylvania, over 43% of renters are considered rent-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their monthly income on rent. The consequences of this financial strain can be devastating, including an increased risk of eviction, reduced access to health care, and negative developmental impacts on children raised in such households. "As legislators, we have a duty to protect the wellbeing of our constituents, and that includes ensuring they have access to affordable housing,” Prokopiak said. “This legislation will provide critical protections by instituting reasonable limits on rent increases, ensuring they don’t outpace inflation or wage growth. It’s time for Pennsylvania to take action and adopt solutions that help make our state a more affordable place to live." “As housing costs continue to climb, many Pennsylvanians are being priced out of their homes, and that is unacceptable,” Guenst said. “This bill is about fairness and stability, offering a practical solution that Read more

 

Philadelphia House Delegation celebrates House passage of mass transit funding proposal

(Jun 17, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

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

 

Committee approves Freeman bill to create factory/mill revitalization tax credit

(Jun 17, 2025) Rep. Robert L. Freeman

“Using a building such as a former factory or mill for a purpose other than what it was originally intended for is a way to reuse buildings that have stood in our communities for decades," Freeman said. Read more

 

PA House passes transit funding bill

(Jun 17, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation to provide historic funding for public transportation. The Public Transportation Trust Fund Transfer Act, authored by state Rep. Ed Neilson, chair of the House Transportation Committee, would invest nearly $300 million into mass transit funding for all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. “Throughout Pennsylvania, including cities, suburbs and rural areas, more than 1 million people use public transportation every day. This is the most significant transit funding increase in over a decade, and no one will see an increase in their taxes. With an additional $500 million in funding to repair roads and bridges, this comprehensive bill will bolster Pennsylvania’s transportation infrastructure in a way that benefits us all,” said Neilson, D-Phila. This funding aligns with Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal in that the sales tax will not increase but the existing amount of money already allocated to public transit funding will increase from 4.4% to 6.15%. It would also drive a total of $1.5 billion to public transit over the next five years. “This will help transit agencies avoid the worst-case scenarios of major service cuts and fare increases, allow roughly 39,000 people employed by public transit agencies to remain gainfully employed and continue moving hundreds of thousands of workers to and from their jobs,” he said. Read more

 

PA Black Maternal Health Caucus Celebrates PA MOMNIBUS 2.0

(Jun 17, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

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

 

Judiciary Committee OK’s Hohenstein bill to protect transit workers

(Jun 17, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, June 17 – Today, the Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee approved legislation introduced by state Rep. Joe Hohenstein, D-Phila., to help protect transit workers. In the wake of increased attacks on transit workers in the workplace, this legislation ( H.B. 1145 ) would help transit agencies install improved security measures. It would do so by establishing a grant program to help fund and support increased security measures. These measures may include capital improvements (e.g., security cameras, bullet-proof partitions, security equipment, safety-related technology) and other initiatives (e.g., security training and security staffing). “Transit workers play a massive role in Philadelphia and communities across Pennsylvania getting mass amounts of people where they need to go,” Hohenstein said. “Ensuring their safety is imperative, as it allows them to properly do their jobs without fearing for their well-being, and it keeps riders and the general public safe.” House Bill 1145 now heads to the full House for consideration. Read more

 

Federal government is abandoning its commitment to homeless students : The Commonwealth of PA Must Step Up Now!

(Jun 16, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

Child and youth homelessness in Pennsylvania has grown to crisis proportions over the past few years, with 46,714 children and youth identified as homeless in 2023. Despite this unprecedented increase in need, the federal resources that allow schools, nonprofits, and other institutions to support these vulnerable young people in their educational pursuits are being cut off and at risk of disappearing entirely. If we are serious about providing every child in Pennsylvania the education they’ll ultimately need to land stable employment and contribute to our economy, the Commonwealth must dedicate targeted state dollars to support students experiencing homelessness. Although this need has never been more urgent, federal support is evaporating. In March 2025, the U.S. Department of Education abruptly canceled spending extensions for American Rescue Plan funds, eliminating hundreds of millions in education funding for Pennsylvania schools. This funding rescission’s effects are being felt most acutely by our most vulnerable students. The U.S. Education Department clawed back $9.2 million specifically designated to help homeless children and youth access education. That’s a whopping 29% of the initial $36 million investment meant to support these students. Even more troubling, the presidential budget proposal that is moving through Congress would, if passed, eliminate all funding for the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth program, which Read more

 

Kenyatta introduces legislation to enhance security for state-level officials

(Jun 16, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

“Let’s be clear: what happened in Minnesota wasn’t just tragic—it was a deliberate, evil act of political violence. And it should shake every one of us to our core,” Kenyatta said. “We are living in a moment where public servants are being targeted for doing their jobs. That is not democracy. That is terrorism.” Read more

 

Veteran property tax elimination expanded under Probst bill OK’d by PA House committee

(Jun 16, 2025) Rep. Tarah Probst

"This is a vital step in expanding access to property tax relief and ensuring no eligible veteran or surviving spouse is left behind,” Probst said. Read more

 

PA House environmental committee examines problem of abandonment of gas & oil wells

(Jun 12, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

The state House Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee held a public hearing today at the state Capitol on the issue of plugging and abandonment of conventional oil and natural gas wells. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, owners and operators are legally responsible for plugging wells when oil and gas production is no longer economically viable, but for various reasons that has not always happened. Wells that are improperly abandoned may pose environmental and public health and safety threats. Read more

 

Committee OKs Salisbury/Kuzma bill to help municipalities obtain grants

(Jun 12, 2025) Rep. Abigail Salisbury

HARRISBURG, June 11 – The House Local Government Committee today approved legislation introduced by state Reps. Abigail Salisbury, D-Allegheny, and Andrew Kuzma, R-Allegheny/Washington, that would help equip municipalities with the expertise and resources needed to obtain state grants. Salisbury said she introduced H.B. 1560 to address a disparity that often leaves communities most needing grant funding at a disadvantage when it comes to securing that funding. “State grants can be a critical lifeline to services and resources, yet the communities most needing those dollars often lose out because they lack the expertise and resources needed to effectively apply for the funding,” Salisbury said. “Our bill would level the playing field and help these communities compete for grants by providing grant-writing training and the resources to contract with grant-writing services when needed.” “Two boroughs in my legislative district are home to less than 500 people each,” Kuzma said. “Small and rural municipalities like these do not have the ability to apply for grants like larger municipalities throughout our Commonwealth. This legislation will put them on more level footing to compete for funding.” Salisbury introduced a similar version of the bill in 2023. It passed the House in June of that year but stalled in the state Senate. Read more

 

Ciresi bill to require clear signage for land development passes House

(Jun 11, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, June 11 – Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Joe Ciresi ( H.B. 375 ) that would increase residents’ awareness of proposed subdivision and land development projects in their area passed the House today with overwhelming bipartisan support ( 108-95 ). “Residents need to know what developments are going up in their area, but property developers are often leaving them in the dark by just putting up hard-to-see, impossible-to-read ‘notices’ on nothing more than 8½-inch by 11-inch sheets of paper,” Ciresi said. “My bill would help create greater community awareness of proposed developments at negligible costs to the property developer by requiring developers to post conspicuous signs of a minimum size and lettering that detail the project, so they be easily seen from the road.” The legislation would amend the Municipalities Planning Code so that no later than seven days after the first official submission of a subdivision or land development application, the subdivider or developer would post signs a minimum of nine square feet in surface area that can be read from a viewing distance of 50 feet, have a summary title in a minimum of 4-inch lettering, are conspicuously posted along external road frontage, and include a description of the proposed project and which local governmental entity is reviewing the development application. “If we want the public to be more aware of what’s going on in their Read more

 

Kazeem applauds bipartisan passage of legislation to protect Pennsylvania’s health care from private equity

(Jun 11, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG, June 11 – State Rep. Carol Kazeem applauded Tuesday’s bipartisan passage (121-82) of the legislation she co-sponsored ( H.B.1460 ) that would protect Pennsylvania’s health care system from private equity firms’ disastrous ownership of hospitals and nursing homes in the commonwealth. “The abrupt closure of Crozer Health System’s two remaining hospitals has made Delaware County a health care desert, resulting in hundreds of thousands of our residents without access to local medical care and negatively impacting our economy by leaving thousands of people without jobs,” said Kazeem, D-Delaware. “Since there’s been no law on the books to oversee private equity firms purchase of our hospitals and nursing homes, they’ve been allowed to repeatedly gut them and walk away with the profits. That would stop now with the passage of H.B. 1460.” After a series of service cuts and facility closures – and the extraction of over $457 million through real estate deals – the California-based private equity firm Prospect Medical Holdings abruptly closed Crozer’s two remaining hospitals, Taylor Hospital on April 26 and Crozer Chester Medical Center on May 2. As a result of these two closures, a total of 2,651 employees have been laid off. To prevent unchecked management of Pennsylvania’s medical care system, Kazeem co-sponsored the Rep. Lisa Borowski bill, H.B. 1460, which would Read more

 

House passes Friel, Schlegel bill to better fund, study school transportation

(Jun 11, 2025) Rep. Paul Friel

HARRISBURG, June 11 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives this week passed bipartisan legislation to provide greater efficiency and clarity for funding school transportation across the state, announced the bill’s prime sponsors state Reps. Paul Friel and John Schlegel. House Bill 1326 would require that school districts report the number of students transported to public, nonpublic and charter schools, including the total costs for each school, to the state Department of Education. The data would be posted publicly online. The bill would also bring state requirements for mileage reporting into the 21 st century by allowing use of GPS software, which is easier and more accurate than manually tracking mileage, said Friel, D-Chester. “Over the past year, in a bipartisan manner, Representative Schlegel and I have spearheaded a work group with school transportation contractors, statewide associations representing school business, state department officials and school district transportation directors from across the commonwealth with the common goal to modernize Pennsylvania’s school transportation laws,” Friel added. “There is a lot of work to be done to bring our school transportation laws up to date, and this bill is an excellent first step toward that goal. Many thanks to the expert stakeholders for helping craft a truly meaningful piece of legislation that would make schools and education better in Read more

 

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

(Jun 11, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

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

 

Lawmakers, advocates rally at state Capitol for passage of Venkat/Mihalek bill to protect restaurant patrons with food allergies

(Jun 11, 2025) Rep. Arvind Venkat

HARRISBURG, June 10 – Lawmakers and food allergy advocates joined forces today at the state Capitol to push for passage of legislation that would make the state’s restaurants and other food retail establishments safer for more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians living with food allergies, according to the bill’s prime sponsors, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Natalie Mihalek. Venkat, D-Allegheny, said H.B. 77 – which passed the House earlier this year with strong bipartisan support – would reduce life-threatening risks by targeting practices in higher-risk settings, including restaurants and other retail food facilities, where patrons are often unknowingly exposed to allergens. “As an emergency physician, I have treated hundreds of patients with life-threatening allergic reactions, including many food-based reactions that could have been prevented,” Venkat said. “As a lawmaker, I know we can do more to reduce that risk. “One important way is by mandating changes in higher-risk settings like restaurants and other food retail facilities, where cross-contamination during food preparation, failing to notify customers about the need to convey their food allergies, or a patron’s failure to alert staff of food allergies accounts for many incidents. Earlier this year, the House passed our bill that would require these businesses to increase food allergy awareness among employees Read more

 

VICTIM Act Designed to Empower Crime Victims, Police

(Jun 11, 2025) Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus

HARRISBURG – Bipartisan legislation that would provide grant funding to police departments investigating cold cases passed the House today on a 169-to-34 vote, according to the bill’s sponsors, Reps. Joe Kerwin (R-Dauphin) and Tim Briggs (D-Montgomery). House Bill 1511 , known as the VICTIM Act, would help police hire additional investigators, submit evidence for forensic testing, upgrade management systems and take other steps they feel would be beneficial to make arrests for homicide and other violent crimes. It contains a provision that at least 10% of grants go to rural departments. “Advances in forensic science, data analysis and digital evidence tools are transforming how police solve crimes. But the best tools are often the most expensive, and without the necessary funding, many departments are forced to rely on outdated methods,” Kerwin said. “That’s not fair to victims, and it’s not fair to the officers trying to do their jobs under increasingly difficult circumstances.” “With the House’s bipartisan passage of the VICTIM Act, we are taking a major step toward delivering long-overdue justice to victims and their families. This legislation reflects our shared commitment to public safety by giving law enforcement the resources they need to solve violent crimes and bring accountability to our communities. It’s about restoring trust, providing closure, and making sure no one is Read more

 

Salisbury, Steele, Gaydos to introduce bill that would strengthen state legislative storm preparation services for residents

(Jun 11, 2025) Rep. Abigail Salisbury, Rep. Mandy Steele

HARRISBURG, June 11 – In the wake of the April 29 storm that left 400,000 western Pennsylvania residents without power, state Reps. Abigail Salisbury and Mandy Steele, both D-Allegheny, and state Rep. Valerie Gaydos, R-Allegheny, will soon introduce legislation that would give state legislative offices greater ability to help residents prepare for weather emergencies. Salisbury said the bill – which would require the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to share weather emergency alerts with state legislative offices and create a direct channel of communication with them – would address a gap in the information network that leaves state offices without timely notification and, consequently, less able to assist their communities. “Currently, when a major storm threatens, PEMA sends alerts to county emergency management agencies, which in turn notify local officials,” Salisbury said. “As a result, when the April 29 storm hit, county officials had advance notice and were able to help residents prepare. Unfortunately, our state legislative offices do not receive these notices from PEMA, which hinders our ability to provide this critical assistance. “Our bill would remedy this by mandating that PEMA provide state legislative offices with the same alerts they send county agencies, as well as a direct communication channel for our offices to contact the agency during weather emergencies. It’s our job Read more

 

Smith-Wade-El helps secure over $2M for Lancaster County housing assistance, homelessness prevention, home modification programs
Jun 18, 2025

House Transportation Committee approves Dougherty bill punishing interference of public transit operators
Jun 18, 2025

Prokopiak, Guenst introduce bill to help stabilize rents
Jun 18, 2025

Philadelphia House Delegation celebrates House passage of mass transit funding proposal
Jun 17, 2025

Committee approves Freeman bill to create factory/mill revitalization tax credit
Jun 17, 2025

PA House passes transit funding bill
Jun 17, 2025

PA Black Maternal Health Caucus Celebrates PA MOMNIBUS 2.0
Jun 17, 2025

Judiciary Committee OK’s Hohenstein bill to protect transit workers
Jun 17, 2025

Federal government is abandoning its commitment to homeless students : The Commonwealth of PA Must Step Up Now!
Jun 16, 2025

Kenyatta introduces legislation to enhance security for state-level officials
Jun 16, 2025

Veteran property tax elimination expanded under Probst bill OK’d by PA House committee
Jun 16, 2025

PA House environmental committee examines problem of abandonment of gas & oil wells
Jun 12, 2025

Committee OKs Salisbury/Kuzma bill to help municipalities obtain grants
Jun 12, 2025

Ciresi bill to require clear signage for land development passes House
Jun 11, 2025

Kazeem applauds bipartisan passage of legislation to protect Pennsylvania’s health care from private equity
Jun 11, 2025

House passes Friel, Schlegel bill to better fund, study school transportation
Jun 11, 2025

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

Lawmakers, advocates rally at state Capitol for passage of Venkat/Mihalek bill to protect restaurant patrons with food allergies
Jun 11, 2025

VICTIM Act Designed to Empower Crime Victims, Police
Jun 11, 2025

Salisbury, Steele, Gaydos to introduce bill that would strengthen state legislative storm preparation services for residents
Jun 11, 2025