HARRISBURG, Oct. 23 – The Pennsylvania House on Wednesday unanimously adopted state Rep. Rob Matzie's H.R. 539, designating October 2026 as "Agent Orange Awareness Month" in Pennsylvania. Matzie, who is chairman of the House majority caucus, said he introduced the resolution to raise awareness about the devastating impact of Agent Orange exposure and its continuing effects on some Pennsylvania veterans and their families. "While thousands of our troops were fighting in Vietnam, nearly 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides were being sprayed to clear trees and other foliage that provided enemy cover,” Matzie said. “Exposure to Agent Orange was later linked to severe health problems, including heart disease, nervous system disorders like Parkinson's disease, birth defects like spina bifida, and various cancers including prostate, blood, bladder, respiratory and other cancers. Because the effects of exposure can take years to show up, many veterans are still discovering and being diagnosed with these conditions. "I introduced this resolution to make sure we remember and honor the sacrifice of those who died as a result of their exposure to this deadly chemical and those who continue to live with the consequences decades after they've served." Matzie said that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes certain conditions as "presumptive" Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – The Pennsylvania House on Wednesday adopted state Rep. Rob Matzie's H.R. 536, designating the week of Oct. 11-17, 2026, as “Credit Union Week” in Pennsylvania. Matzie, who is chairman of the House majority caucus, said he introduced the resolution to highlight the advantages credit unions can provide for consumers and how these nonprofit organizations differ from traditional banks. “Credit unions are owned and operated by their member account holders,” Matzie said. “They function as financial democracies, with each member having an equal vote, regardless of the size of their account. Because they are not obligated to turn a profit for shareholders, they can return surplus income to members in the form of lower fees and loan rates and higher savings dividends. “As member-owned organizations, they also tend to be community-focused, sponsoring local events and financial seminars and supporting members’ charitable work. For all of these reasons, they can be a good choice for consumers.” According to recent regulatory reports, there are nearly 270 credit unions headquartered in Pennsylvania, including 32 state-chartered credit unions and 236 federally chartered credit unions. State-chartered credit unions are regulated and supervised by the state Department of Banking and Securities, while federally chartered credit unions Read more

AMBRIDGE, Oct. 21 – Grant funding of nearly $620,000 from the state Department of Education will bolster literacy skills for elementary school students in the Central Valley and Freedom Area school districts, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie said the funding – which includes $415,405 to Central Valley School District for the Center Grange Primary and Todd Lane Elementary schools, and $204,160 to the Freedom Area School District for the Freedom Area Elementary School – will give students a stronger start in an essential core curriculum subject. “Few skills are more important to success in life than reading, but it takes a coordinated effort of planning, coaching and the right resources to help students master those skills,” said Matzie, who is chairman of the House majority caucus. “The new funding to Central Valley and Freedom Area school districts will provide the tools educators need to give students a strong foundation early on.” The funding comes from the Pennsylvania Structured Literacy Grant program, which provides funding to help school districts implement Pennsylvania's structured literacy legislation. Grants may be used for purchasing materials, obtaining screening assessments, developing plans and sustainable literacy systems, and strengthening districtwide collaboration. More information about the funding is available here: Read more

HARRISBURG, Oct. 21 – The Pennsylvania House today passed S.B. 1328 – companion legislation to state Rep. Rob Matzie’s bill that would mandate the availability of automated external defibrillators at utility and electrical linework job sites in Pennsylvania. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said he introduced his companion bill with state Rep. Jason Ortitay to address a major gap in the law and ensure that workers on some of the highest-risk job sites have access to lifesaving medical equipment. “When seconds count, AEDs save lives,” Matzie said. “Using them immediately on site after cardiac arrest dramatically increases survival compared to situations that rely on EMS arrival alone. It’s why we mandate these devices in schools, hotels, health clubs and coal mines. “But there is a critical gap in the law – there’s no similar requirement for AEDs to be available at utility and linework job sites, even though these are some of the most dangerous jobs around. We introduced this legislation in conjunction with the Senate bill passed today to address that gap and ensure that our workers have the protections they need when doing the essential work that keeps our lights on. I was glad to see the bill move forward and will push to ensure it gets to the governor’s desk.” “Line workers routinely work on energized electrical systems, at Read more

Legislation recognizing telecommunicators, expanding access to benefits heads to governor’s desk Read more

Bipartisan legislation for safe and responsible use of e-scooters advances to Senate Read more

AMBRIDGE, Oct. 20 – Nearly $400,000 in newly awarded tax credits will leverage investments to strengthen Beaver County health, nutritional and family resources and support economic development, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said that nearly $81,300 in tax credits will leverage community corporate partner investments to support Adagio Health, which provides health, nutrition and family support services for Beaver County and other families in the region. “Adagio Health provides essential services for lower-income families, including supplemental food, nutrition education, breastfeeding support and other services to help new moms and infants, as well as other community wellness and outreach programs,” Matzie said. “The new tax credits will leverage additional funding for those programs and services to help more people.” Matzie said that in addition to the tax credits supporting Adagio Health, $285,000 in tax credits were awarded to leverage investments supporting economic development work by the Beaver Falls Community Development Corporation, and $26,000 in tax credits were awarded to leverage investments in Neighborhood North Museum of Play projects to expand accessible family and youth spaces in Beaver Falls. The tax credits supporting Adagio Health were awarded under the Charitable Food Program, and the tax credits supporting the Beaver Falls projects Read more

MONACA, Oct. 16 – State Rep. Rob Matzie joined Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll and other state and local officials in Monaca Thursday to highlight $2 million in state dollars supporting major transportation projects in Monaca and Ambridge boroughs. Matzie said that recent investments previously announced from the Multimodal Transportation Fund – including nearly $1.9 million for safety and infrastructure upgrades along the Eighth Street corridor in Ambridge and more than $200,000 to support construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 17 th Street in Monaca – are part of a continuing effort to update the county’s infrastructure. “Strong, modern infrastructure means a speedier commute for workers, more reliable transportation for commerce and industry, more business flowing to our downtown and safer travel for everyone,” said Matzie, who is chairman of the House majority caucus. “But the constant demands on our infrastructure mean that securing state investments is never a one-and-done deal. Instead, we need to be vigilant in driving out state dollars whenever we can to support local projects and ease the burden on taxpayers.” In 2018, Matzie worked to help secure $3 million in state funding to launch the Monaca Gateway Project. Now under construction, the project will improve more than 6,000 feet of State Route 18 and replace overhead stop Read more

HARRISBURG, Sept. 29 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed legislation sponsored by state Rep. Aerion Abney that would help child welfare providers manage insurance costs so they can afford to continue their important work. A licensed social worker, Abney said H.B. 2490 will help child welfare providers maintain affordable insurance coverage and serve children, families and communities across Pennsylvania. “Child welfare providers are facing a serious insurance crisis, with premiums rising sharply and some providers struggling to find coverage at all,” Abney said. “We need to make sure the people and organizations caring for our children can focus on that work instead of being pushed out by insurance costs. This legislation creates a fairer approach to liability and helps protect the stability of these essential services.” Under the bill, counties would not be allowed to require a child welfare provider to waive an insurer’s right to recover money from a party responsible for a claim as a condition of receiving a county contract. The legislation addresses a growing problem for providers. Rising insurance premiums and limited coverage options can make it more difficult for organizations to provide child welfare services. Preventing contract requirements that further increase insurers’ risk can help create greater Read more

AMBRIDGE, Sept. 18 – New funding of $125,000 to the Community College of Beaver County will support capital improvements at the Monaca campus and lease support for CCBC’s expanded operations in Washington County, Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said that the funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education includes $50,000 for capital improvements and building renovations to the Monaca campus radiology room and $75,000 to support the lease of facility space for CCBC’s extension, Washington County College Center, located at the Western Area Career & Technology Center in Canonsburg. “CCBC is consistently ranked as one of the top community colleges in Pennsylvania for its nationally regarded programs, support of service members and veterans, and outstanding financial aid programs that help students of all financial backgrounds access a quality education,” Matzie said. “As a proud grad, I am thrilled to see new state investments that will allow them to continue delivering top-quality instructional programs here at home and across the region.” The funding is part of a package of grants to 14 community colleges statewide. More information is available here: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/education/newsroom/shapiro-administration-invests-more-than-25-million-across-14-community-colleges-for-capital-projects-and-renovations . Read more