HARRISBURG, July 16 – Water line replacements are coming to the city of Coatesville, thanks to $4.2 million secured for major water system improvements, state Rep. Dan Williams announced today. The funds -- awarded to the Pennsylvania American Water Co. -- will replace 240 lead-impacted water service lines. Rates are not expected to increase. Williams said the combined grant money and low-interest loans -- secured through the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority -- will eliminate potential health risks associated with lead. “Lead exposure -- even at low levels, presents a silent danger that cannot be ignored,” said Williams. “The combined funding will be used to fully replace all impacted water service lines, ensuring clean water, safeguarding residents’ health, and building a stronger, safer community.” The funding includes a $1.2 million grant and a $2.9 million low-interest loan with a 1% interest rate . The Pennvest loan will provide the grant-equivalent of $1.4 million over the life of the loan. Pennvest provides low-cost financial assistance for sewer, stormwater and drinking water projects across the Commonwealth. The funding is designed to support affordable solutions to help ensure safe drinking water for all Pennsylvanians. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 15 – – A bipartisan group of state lawmakers from the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force -- state Reps. Perry Warren, D-Bucks, and David Zimmerman, R-Berks/Lancaster, along with state Sens. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks, and Lisa Baker, R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming -- announced the advancement of legislation that would give Pennsylvania homebuyers information regarding flood risks when purchasing residential property. House Bill 1704 , introduced by Warren and Zimmerman and approved unanimously by the House Insurance Committee, would require home sellers to disclose critical flood-related information to prospective buyers. The legislation is based on recommendations made by the Flood Insurance Premium Assistance Task Force, which was created through legislation introduced by Warren and Santarsiero and signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro. “This bill would alert prospective buyers of residential real property of the existence of a potential risk of flood damage,” said Warren, who chairs the House Insurance Committee, “and would ensure that prospective home buyers are aware of a property’s history of flooding or flood insurance requirements so they can consider flood risk and the availability of flood insurance coverage.” House Bill 1704 would require sellers to disclose: Whether a property has previously Read more
The state House has passed a pair of bills aimed at tamping down on dubious subscription services — just as a federal court moved to throw out similar rules proposed by federal regulators. Read more
“Our children – all of our children - are our future. And that absolutely includes the children who go through our juvenile detention system,” said Shusterman. “As legislators, we are responsible for ensuring the support, development, and safety of young people who are placed in the custody of the Commonwealth. We must invest in these children to ensure they are equipped to have successful futures -- where they will participate in our economy and contribute meaningfully in their communities.” Read more
“This bill balances the need to protect children as well as parents involved in custody disputes,” Shusterman said. “Often, one party uses the modification process to harass the other party. This bill takes a step to protect people from having to incur the cost of responding to a serial filer that is using the legal system to abuse the other party.” Read more
HARRISBURG, July 8 – Legislation aimed at strengthening Pennsylvania consumer protections for online subscriptions, sponsored by Rep. Joe Ciresi, overwhelmingly passed the House today (181-22). “My House Bill 1299 would empower Pennsylvania’s consumers by creating a ‘click to cancel’ rule to make it easy for them to cancel unwanted subscriptions online instead of having to speak with a customer service representative and listen to lengthy sales pitches when they just want to terminate an unwanted subscription quickly,” Ciresi said. “My legislation would also require clarity and transparency in online subscription contracts, so consumers know about the ‘strings’ attached to free gifts and trial periods.” Ciresi’s bill would amend the Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law by requiring businesses which offer automatic renewals to: Provide renewal terms, cancellation policy, and how to cancel in a “clear and conspicuous Manner.” Provide a clear and conspicuous explanation of the price that will be charged after a free trial ends and the deadline by which a consumer must cancel to avoid being charged. Allow a customer who signs up online to cancel online (“click to cancel”). Disclose any material changes in the automatic renewal in a clear and conspicuous manner that can also be retained by the consumer. Not intentionally misrepresent automatic Read more
“This bill ensures that Intermediate Units can maintain their Pre-K Counts grants even without a Head Start affiliation. Our children deserve uninterrupted, high quality early education, and Pennsylvania must act to secure it,” Hanbidge said. “If the federal government eliminates or defunds Head Start, as many as an additional 2,500 Pennsylvania children could lose access to Pre-K Counts programming and it’s essential we take this step to help them.” Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Rep. Tina Davis announced today the House has passed her bipartisan legislation, which would establish the Redevelopment Authority Startup Loan Program to combat property blight and spur revitalization in communities across the Commonwealth. The bill now heads to the Senate for its consideration. “This is a major step forward in giving our local communities the tools they need to address blight and revitalize neighborhoods,” Davis said. “I’m grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who supported this legislation. This is a smart, sustainable investment in Pennsylvania’s future.” House Bill 1574 —co-sponsored by lawmakers from both parties—would create a revolving loan fund under the Department of Community and Economic Development. The fund would provide low-interest, long-term loans—up to $500,000—to county redevelopment authorities to acquire, rehabilitate and return blighted residential or commercial properties to productive use. The program is modeled after a highly successful initiative in Bristol Township, Bucks County, which, following a 2016 startup investment, has already led to the rehabilitation of 35 residential properties and sparked over 100 additional private-sector redevelopment projects—all without requiring further government funding. “This bill leverages what Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Ben Sanchez, D-Montgomery, to protect working families and seniors from excessive overdraft and nonsufficient fund fees. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. “In a time when every dollar counts, Pennsylvanians shouldn’t be blindsided by unfair fees,” Sanchez said. “This bill puts fairness first and gives people a better chance to stay ahead financially.” House Bill 1553 , also known as the Protecting Your Accounts Act, would cap overdraft and non-sufficient funds fees at $15 or the actual cost of processing a transaction, whichever is lower, and prevent penalties when a transaction is simply declined. “When the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed similar changes, it estimated an average annual savings of $225 per person,” Sanchez said. “That’s meaningful relief, especially as families face rising costs across the board. “In 2024 alone, two major banks collected over $1 billion in overdraft fees,” Sanchez said. “That’s not a service—it’s exploitation. We need to restore trust that financial institutions are here to safeguard, not drain, people’s hard-earned money.” As the bill advances to the Senate, Sanchez called on lawmakers from Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Reps. Carol Kazeem and Heather Boyd, both D-Delaware, and Andre Carroll, D-Phila., of the relaunched bipartisan House PA Youth & Public Safety Caucus on Monday announced a public safety initiative in Harrisburg. Read more
HARRISBURG, July 1 – State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, announced that his legislation to ensure the state is meeting its benchmarks with substance use programs was signed into law last night by Gov. Josh Shapiro. House Bill 640 improves the annual report that the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs submits to the General Assembly. Williams said the DDAP has played a critical role in advancing education, intervention, treatment and recovery initiatives across Pennsylvania. As the state continues to fight the opioid crisis and other emerging drug threats, DDAP has strengthened its collaboration with the departments of Health, Corrections, Human Services and other key agencies. Given DDAP’s growing responsibilities and evolving initiatives, HB 640 updates the department’s annual reporting requirements. “Under this law, enhanced reporting allows the General Assembly to better assess program effectiveness, allocate resources where they are most needed and explore new strategies for addressing substance misuse, treatment and recovery,” Williams said. The new law seeks to improve communication and collaboration with the public, advocacy organizations and service providers, providing greater transparency and informed public policy. “With uncertainties surrounding health initiatives and data collection on the federal level under a new administration that does not seem particularly concerned about those things, having the Read more
This is a change that reflects the values of our commonwealth and supports our disability communities. This legislation reflects a collaborative, bipartisan effort with Representative Pickett and our colleagues across the aisle to modernize and improve the language of our laws. Read more
“I am beyond proud that these two bills have made it to the finish line,” he said. “So many of my colleagues in the House and Senate provided crucial feedback to ensure bi-partisan support for these bills. I wish to thank everyone who was a part of the legislative process and of course, I wish to thank Governor Shapiro for his approval and signature.” Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, released the following statement following the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s vote to cut services and raise fare prices in their budget. “As a Pennsylvania state lawmaker and elected representative born and raised in Montgomery County, I’m dismayed that SEPTA was forced today to vote for shutting down 45% of its service and raising fare prices more than 21%,” Daley said. “Make no mistake, this development is unprecedented and will send Philadelphia regional transit as we know it into what engineers, city planners and economists have called a death spiral for the region. “What’s more, today’s vote could have been avoided altogether. As a Democrat in the state House of Representatives, we voted not once, but four times to fund transit across Pennsylvania , including for SEPTA. Each bill has gone ignored by Senate Republican leadership. “These service cuts and fare hikes are so far reaching that they will create a ripple effect on economic activity across the state. They will also put people out of jobs and hundreds of thousands of cars onto our already struggling and expensive roads, polluting our air and adding to commute times and congestion. “Many service cuts would begin January 1, 2026, but others are slated to go into effect as soon as August of this year. While this timeline spells disaster for Read more
PCN recently interviewed Rep. Lisa Borowski about the fight to pass her crucial legislation, the Health System Protection Act, that would prevent bad businesses deals like the one that resulted in the Crozer crisis. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 27 – Legislation to close the “ Delaware loophole ” and institute combined reporting was approved by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Wednesday. HB1610 was introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler , D-Phila., and Rep. Mary Jo Daley , D-Montgomery. This is the first time the House has passed a bill that would truly close the loophole in state law. In Pennsylvania, it is perfectly legal for highly profitable, multi-state corporations to shield their profits in states like Delaware, that have low or no corporate net income taxes. Combined reporting simply closes that loophole by requiring companies making profits in Pennsylvania, report to Pennsylvania. "When 73% of the corporations active in this state pay no corporate taxes at all — and working people struggle to afford the basics — that's not fairness, that's exploitation,” Fiedler said. “It’s ridiculous, puts small businesses at a disadvantage, and leaves our public services without adequate funding. We can generate millions by closing this loophole alone." Thanks in part to corporate tax loopholes, Pennsylvania has one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation. When multi-state corporations pay less than their fair share, a greater tax burden is placed on Pennsylvania-based companies, small businesses, and individual taxpayers. “Just like every hard-working Pennsylvanian has to Read more
“Hundreds of Korean Americans who became naturalized U.S. citizens served bravely alongside American troops during the Vietnam War, yet many have been denied access to the benefits they deserve,” Cerrato said. "This legislation honors Korean American veterans’ courage and strives to uphold Pennsylvania’s commitment to all who have served alongside us in times of war." Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Carol Kazeem, D-Delaware, that would make the cosmetology out-of-school training program a permanent career and technical education offering was overwhelmingly passed by the House today ( 195-7 ). Act 55 of 2022 established the Cosmetology Training Through Career and Technical Center Pilot Program with the aim of providing high school students enrolled in career and technical education programs with the academic, technical and real-world skills needed to succeed as cosmetologists. “I sponsored House Bill 1627 because this practical and successful pilot CTC program would immensely benefit our local communities if it became a permanent offering,” Kazeem said. “This program gives interested students real-world experiences that provide insight into what a career in cosmetology would be like and the opportunity to develop the skills that would make them attractive to potential employers after graduation. “But it’s more than about getting a job after high school. The expansion of our CTC programs to include cosmetology will provide young people in Pennsylvania with a new pathway to building sustainable careers in a lucrative industry that will enable them to raise families, buy homes and become productive members of our communities.” The legislation would enable participating schools that are part of the Cosmetology Training Through Career and Technical Center program to Read more
“Childcare is not a luxury. It’s a necessity and it’s vital to us having a functional and growing economy. No qualifying family should be left behind. State tax laws meant to benefit working families should not be overly complicated nor set up to exclude families who are using all options available to them to ensure their children are safe and cared for while they work,” Hanbidge said. Read more
“The medical community still has a lot to learn about what triggers SUDEP, and this legislation would help supply them with the data they need to be able to better educate patients and their families about its signs and risks,” Borowski said. Read more
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