Dear Neighbor,

The safety of our children is perhaps our most important job, which is why I was grateful to be able to highlight the importance of school bus safety for a recent news story with Andy Mehalshick from WBRE.

Despite clear laws about what drivers can and cannot due when a school bus is stopped to let children out (see reminder below), we continue to hear stories locally and statewide of children having close calls or being hit when exiting a school bus.

To help address this problem, PA has made $1.2 million available in a new grant program to help increase school bus safety. These funds are made available through the newly established School Bus Safety Grant Program.

Grants from the program can be used to promote and increase school bus safety, education, and training, as well as pay for education, training, and other associated costs related to an individual earning their commercial learner’s permit, commercial driver’s license, or school bus endorsement for the purpose of driving a school bus in Pennsylvania.

Independent school bus contractors, school entities, and municipalities are eligible to apply for grants from the program at grants.pa.gov now through midnight July 3, 2025.

As a reminder:

• Motorists must stop at least 10 feet away from school buses that have their red lights flashing and stop arm extended.
• Motorists must stop when they are behind a bus, meeting the bus, or approaching an intersection where a bus is stopped.
• Motorists following or traveling alongside a school bus must also stop until the red lights have stopped flashing, the stop arm is withdrawn, and all children have reached safety.
• If physical barriers such as grassy medians, guide rails, or concrete median barriers separate oncoming traffic from the bus, motorists in the opposing lanes may proceed without stopping.
• Do not proceed until all the children have reached a place of safety.

The penalties, if convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s School Bus Stopping Law, include:

• $250 fine
• Five points on your driving record
• 60-day license suspension

This week Cultural Day was celebrated in the beautiful main rotunda of our state Capitol building. I had the honor of opening the festivities by singing our National Anthem, followed by a wonderful program highlighting the different cultures that make Pennsylvania so vibrant and strong.

When I looked out into the audience, displays, and wide array of food, I was reminded of the opportunity our Commonwealth provides. Through respect, appreciation and learning from each other we grow as individuals, as a community, and as a country.

Great news! The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent you paid in 2024 has been extended to Dec. 31, 2025!

Last session, we passed landmark legislation that allowed more Pennsylvanians than ever before to qualify for a rebate. Then, we took another step forward by increasing the maximum annual income from $45,000 to $46,520. This program is for seniors 65 or older; widows and widowers 50 or older; and people with disabilities 18 or older. For more information, to see if you qualify and to apply, click here or contact my office here.

As a reminder, the Area Agency on Aging for Luzerne and Wyoming counties will be distributing the annual Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) vouchers provided by the United States and Pennsylvania Departments of  Agriculture.

The Area Agency on Aging is asking that residents to check for updates on their website regularly, by clicking here. Due to delays and federal funding, the number of vouchers provided to each agency has been reduced and will be distributed on a first come first serve basis.  Vouchers will only be given out in person and no applications will be accepted.

To be eligible for this program, you must meet all three requirements below:

• Be a resident of Luzerne or Wyoming County.  
• Be at least 60 years of age by Dec. 31, 2025.
• Meet income guidelines based on 2025 Total Household Income: (All income is included, i.e. Social Security, Pension, Unemployment Compensation, interest on Savings, Veterans payments, Public Assistance, Child support, Annuities, Net Rental income, Wages).

The 2025 household income eligibility is:

• 1 Person/Household – $28,953 or less.
• 2 People/Household – $39,128 or less.
• 3 People/Household – $49,303 or less.
• 4 People/Household – $59,478 or less. 
• 5 People/Household – $69,653 or less.

Any questions, please call any of the Luzerne County Active Adult Centers or Area Agency on Aging at 570-822-1159.

Many people have started receiving fraudulent text messages from the self-described “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Motor Vehicles (DMV).” THESE TEXT MESSAGES ARE SCAMS. Individuals who receive these text messages should not reply or click any hyperlinks within the message. PennDOT has been notified and is aware of the problem.

This is a phishing attempt designed to steal personal or financial information. PennDOT has confirmed that it does not send text messages regarding traffic violations, fines, or payment demands.

Anyone receiving such a message is advised not to engage and to report it to the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov or the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

For accurate information, always refer directly to PennDOT’s official website.

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Fellowship Program is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2025 semester.

The Fellowship Program is based in Pennsylvania’s magnificent Capitol Building in Harrisburg. Fellows are assigned to work in House standing committees or House leadership offices, are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit), and are provided opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few.

Qualified applicants will be:

1. College undergraduate juniors or seniors, graduate students, or law school students;
2. Enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university, or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and
3. Pursuing any major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Please visit www.pahousefellowship.us for more information and directions on how to apply.

Let us continue to work together to build a stronger and safer America by searching for the TRUTH and finding the FACTS to guide our words, and our actions. Please, STAY STRONG and SAFE! Our democracy needs us to come together for the good of all.

Sincerely,

Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski

121st Legislative District