HARRISBURG, June 3 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Children & Youth Committee on Tuesday reported out legislation ( H.B. 434 ) by state Reps. Gina Curry and Carol Kazeem’s that would establish an Ebony Alert System in Pennsylvania dedicated to finding missing Black and Brown youth, including young women and girls. According to the two Delaware County legislators, Black children accounted for 40% of all children under 18 reported missing in the United States in 2023, despite Black Americans comprising only 14% of the nation’s population. Similarly, Black women and girls represent approximately 18% of all missing persons cases while making up just 7% of the population. The lawmakers argue that cases involving missing children of color—particularly Black children—often receive less attention because they are disproportionately classified as runaways . That designation can prevent AMBER Alerts from being issued, reducing the law enforcement and public resources devoted to recovery efforts and limiting media coverage of their disappearances. Lack of media coverage of missing Black children -- just 7% according to one study -- has a devastating impact on the chances of recovery of missing Black children. Media attention raises public awareness and puts law enforcement on alert , resulting in them contributing critical resources to finding children. “Despite making up a significant percentage of missing child cases, Read more

HARRISBURG, June 3 – Legislation to direct the Office of Attorney General to conduct a public education campaign about artificial intelligence and to improve AI consumer literacy in Pennsylvania overwhelmingly passed the House today (198-3), said the bill’s prime sponsors, House Communications & Technology Committee chairs Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Jason Ortitay, R-Washington/Allegheny. “AI safety starts with informed users,” Ciresi said. “As AI becomes increasingly common in across our daily life, it’s important that we know how to interact with AI safely and responsibly and be educated consumers of online content. Informed public awareness of the risks of AI—from misinformation and hallucinations, emotional dependency, to potentially harmful advice, and more--is essential as we enter this new technological age.” Ciresi believes that while AI has an incredible potential to increase productivity and lead to breakthroughs across countless fields, it is also a Pandora’s box of risks—including bias in outputs, data collection and privacy issues, and “deepfakes” and misinformation—that requires greater public awareness. “Many people don’t yet have a full understanding of AI,” said Ortitay. “As it is becoming a part of everyday life, this legislation will help improve public awareness. Although AI offers significant benefits, it can also be misused. Read more

HARRISBURG, June 2 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed state Rep. Carol Kazeem’s H.B. 1045 , which would require school nurses and staff to complete training approved by the state Department of Health to help them recognize the signs and symptoms of a seizure and how to provide first aid treatment. Currently, state law makes epilepsy training optional for school staff. “More than 129,000 Pennsylvanians have epilepsy, and many of them developed the brain disorder during childhood,” said Kazeem, D-Delaware. “Some even had their first seizure during the school day, far from the safety of their homes and their parents’ loving care. My legislation would increase the safety of our students and give their parents peace of mind by requiring that school nurses and other school personnel have the training that would enable them to quickly identify the signs of an epileptic seizure and provide the correct treatment.” Kazeem noted that incorrect treatment of a seizure can result in serious injury and even death. Kazeem’s legislation, developed in collaboration with the Epilepsy Foundation of Eastern Pennsylvania, would ensure that school nurses and school professional employees who have direct contact with students complete training approved by the state Department of Health every two years to identify the signs of epileptic seizures and provide seizure first aid. The bill is with the state Senate Read more

State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, today joined officials from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the Pennsylvania American Legion to unveil dedicated parking spaces for veterans at turnpike service plazas. Read more

ELVERSON, May 18 – State Rep. Paul Friel and Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll today celebrated the early reopening of St. Peters Road (SR 4041) in St. Peters Village. Portions of the road had been destabilized and closed due to major erosion between the roadway and French Creek in Warwick Township. “This has been a long-standing safety hazard for our community, and getting both lanes of St. Peters Road fully reopened is a massive win for our residents and local businesses,” said Friel, D-Chester. “I am thrilled we could restore the road and ensure that this historic gem is open to all who enjoy its trails, shops, restaurants and natural beauty." Friel noted that he has enjoyed spending time in St. Peters since he was young and still visits regularly. He said he was pleased to see so many people from the community during the ribbon cutting this morning. "This place is a part of our community and a part of me since I was literally in high school,” he said. “So, I know the importance of our little hamlet here. “I'd like to thank Secretary Carroll and the folks at PennDOT for all they did to get this project moving. I also want to extend my deep appreciation to the Loftus Construction team. This was a thorough and well-executed rebuild – I am thoroughly impressed with the work they have done here. The new and improved road will serve St. Peters Village and our Read more

HARRISBURG, May 6 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives recognized the critical service that public works employees provide in emergency settings by overwhelmingly passing legislation (196–5) Tuesday that would extend to them the same state death benefits that first responders who lose their lives on the job receive. According to the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, the impetus for H.B. 1485 was to provide parity for public works employees who lose their lives on the job protecting Pennsylvanians -- just as the state does for first responders. “Public works employees are the ‘silent arm of public safety’ -- they’re the first on the scene of an emergency and the last to leave,” Ciresi said. “Our families, our homes, and our lives are safe because these public workers risk their lives daily under all kinds of conditions. It’s past time to give them the recognition and respect they deserve, as we do for first responders.” House Bill 1485 is modeled after a similar law passed in New Hampshire in 2022. The legislation now moves to the state Senate for consideration. Read more

Mothers need more than flowers for Mother’s Day; they need policies in place that will make life easier for working families and prospective parents. Read more

HARRISBURG, May 5– The PA House Communications & Technology Committee today voted to approve two bills that would establish guardrails for the use of artificial intelligence in advertising and healthcare, and a third bill that would set limits on the sound levels of commercial advertisements in video streaming services. Read more

The House today approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by state Reps. Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware, and Danillo Burgos, D-Phila., that makes strides toward protecting children and addressing the youth mental health crisis. Read more

HARRISBURG, April 29 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday passed legislation ( H.B. 2179 ) introduced by state Rep. Christina Sappey that would clarify what subjects must be included in the public notices of proposed ordinances for second class townships. Sappey serves on the House Local Government Committee and introduced the bill after learning about a shade tree ordinance that was overturned in Lancaster County because of ambiguous language in the public notice. Sappey's bill would clarify what subjects must be included in the brief summary of an advertised proposed ordinance. The summary would need to include a description of the following, as applicable: An adoption, amendment or repeal of a tax, fee, charge or assessment. An adoption, amendment or repeal of a regulation that provides for an offense or civil or criminal penalty. A provision or covenant that provides for the payment or disbursement of funds for goods, services or contractual obligation; restricts funds to a specific purpose or obligation; or pledges funds for a specific purpose or obligation. “This legislation also would require advertisements to include references to the township office where copies of the proposed ordinance may be viewed, and to the publicly accessible website where the full text of the ordinance may be viewed, if one exists,” Sappey said. “If a summary meets the obligations outlined Read more