These grants are a meaningful investment in our communities and in our people. Each project receiving funding addresses a critical need—from helping families become first-time homeowners to preserving housing for seniors and veterans. This funding will help ensure that more Allegheny County residents have access to safe, stable, and affordable housing. Read more

AMBRIDGE, June 12 – New grants totaling $925,000 from the Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Agency will help more Beaver County residents find secure, permanent housing and provide existing homeowners the resources they need to stay safe in their homes, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said eight grants – funded by Marcellus Shale Impact Fees and Realty Transfer Taxes – will support Beaver County and local nonprofit programs to bolster housing opportunities and resources for homeowners. “Safe, reliable housing isn’t a luxury – it’s a necessity and a critical connection to job opportunities, a stable family environment, and access to the network of support that goes with being part of a community,” Matzie said. “Securing this funding will help more people break free of the chronic risk of homelessness, help new prospective homeowners become more financially savvy and allow homeowners to make needed modifications and repairs so they can stay safe at home.” Matzie said the funding includes: $200,000 to Housing Opportunities of Beaver County to rehabilitate one duplex and one single-family home in Aliquippa, creating four affordable housing units and training underserved young adults in construction. $150,000 to The Salvation Army to help people served by homeless prevention Read more

HARRISBURG, June 4 – Pennsylvania consumers are one step closer to protection from an unfair and unscrupulous sales practice after a strong bipartisan majority of the PA House today passed state Rep. Rob Matzie’s bill to ban speculative ticketing. Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus, said he introduced H.B. 463 to eliminate a practice in which ticket resellers list event tickets for sale before even having those tickets in hand. “People give up their hard-earned money to buy tickets so they can enjoy special shows and events with friends, family, and loved ones,” said Matzie. “They have a right to assume the seller has those tickets in hand. When it turns out that the seller never had them and was unable to get them, it’s the consumer who loses. At best, they may get their money back. At worst, they lose their ticket money and any other expenses, like travel and lodging, they laid out. “A sales transaction between a buyer and seller should never be based on a gamble that the seller will be able to obtain the item for sale. We don’t allow that to happen with other consumer goods, and we shouldn’t let it happen with ticket sales. It’s very simple – if you don’t have it, you can’t sell it. I’m pleased that a strong bipartisan majority of the House sided with Pennsylvania consumers today by passing my bill.” Read more

HARRISBURG, June 2 – State Rep. Aerion Abney has introduced a legislative proposal designed to bolster protections for college student-athletes earning compensation through their name, image, and likeness. House Bill 1520 aims to close enforcement gaps, improve transparency, and protect athletes from exploitative agreements. While current Pennsylvania law permits student-athletes to profit from their NIL, Abney noted the need for stronger safeguards. “Student-athletes are increasingly navigating complex and high-stakes endorsement agreements, often with limited legal or institutional guidance,” Abney said. “This legislation builds on existing law to ensure they can exercise their rights without fear of coercion, misinformation, or retaliation.” Key provisions of the bill include: Enhancing contract transparency to ensure student-athletes have a clear understanding of their agreements. Establishing legal safeguards to protect against unfair or exploitative terms. Clarifying institutional responsibilities, ensuring schools support NIL rights without interfering in compensation matters. Providing avenues for student-athletes to seek recourse when their NIL rights are violated. “This legislation is about fairness and empowerment,” Abney said. “It ensures that student-athletes in Pennsylvania Read more

PITTSBURGH, May 30 – As operating costs for public transit skyrocket and agencies like Pittsburgh Regional Transit warn of significant service cuts and fare hikes, state Reps. Aerion A. Abney and Jessica Benham announced that they have officially introduced legislation designed to increase state funding for public transportation. The “Transit for All PA” Funding Package, now introduced as H.B.s 1523 and 1524 , would provide a long-overdue, dedicated funding source to PRT and transit agencies across the state. The package builds on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal to increase the allocation of existing sales taxes to public transit. With this increased stream of revenue, transit systems across Pennsylvania would be able to stabilize their budgets, move beyond current austerity measures, and better serve the needs of riders. The legislation includes provisions to: Raise the state’s rental car fee from $2 to $6.50. Increase the car lease fee from 3% to 5%. Establish a 6% excise tax on ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. The state’s car rental and lease fees have not been increased in over 30 years and are among the lowest in the nation. Currently, there is no statewide excise tax on ride-hailing services. “Pennsylvanians deserve a public transportation system that is safe, reliable and Read more

“Today, we learned that PennEnergy is surrendering its petition to withdraw water from Big Sewickley Creek after determining that the creek’s flow would not be sufficient for their planned operations. “The decision was purely a logistical one, but it is the best possible news for our community, our environment and the thousands of residents who treasure the creek and everything it offers. Read more

AMBRIDGE, May 22 – Nearly $80,000 in new grant funding from the state Department of Environment Protection will support environmental education for Beaver County students and composting and PFAS workshops to benefit area residents, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie said the funding includes $19,180 to Beaver County’s RiverWise for the Summer Sustainability Institute education program; $28,424 to Pennsylvania Resources Council Inc., for the Small Scale Composting for Urban Communities project; and $30,000 to Pennsylvania State University for workshops to teach participants from Beaver and several other counties about PFAS. “When we educate students about the environment, we’re teaching them lessons about community engagement, empowering them to fight food insecurity, and encouraging them to care for and conserve natural resources. We’re also introducing them to potential career paths,” said Matzie, who is chairman of the House Majority Caucus. “With this new funding, the Summer Sustainability Institute will teach those lessons to Beaver County middle school and high school students by providing hands-on learning about urban farming, sustainability, climate change and much more. They’re lessons that will be useful for life.” Matzie said the funding to Pennsylvania Resources Council Inc. will support composting workshops in Beaver, Allegheny, Delaware and Fayette counties Read more

HARRISBURG, May 6 – State Rep. Aerion A. Abney announced today his legislation to improve access to mental health services and modernize professional licensing for social workers, has been unanimously approved by the House Professional Licensure Committee. The bill now advances to the full House of Representatives for further consideration. House Bill 554 would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Social Work Licensure Compact, an interstate agreement that allows licensed social workers to practice across state lines with greater ease. This compact would reduce administrative burdens for qualified professionals and increase the availability of critical mental health services, particularly in rural and underserved areas of the Commonwealth. “As the only degree-holding social worker serving in the Pennsylvania legislature, I understand firsthand the challenges facing both providers and the people who rely on mental health services,” Abney said. “This bill is a practical, bipartisan solution that will strengthen our workforce, expand care options for Pennsylvanians, and bring us one step closer to meeting the growing demand for mental health support across our state.” In addition to improving access to care, the legislation is expected to have a positive economic impact by reducing barriers to employment for social workers and making Pennsylvania a more attractive place for qualified professionals to live and Read more

HARRISBURG, March 17 — In a pivotal moment for health insurance reform, the Pennsylvania House Insurance Committee, chaired by state Rep. Perry Warren, D-Bucks, reported out of committee four significant bills that safeguard health insurance in Pennsylvania in the event the federal government repeals protections of the Affordable Care Act. House Bill 404 , sponsored by Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Luzerne, would allow parents to keep adult children on their health insurance plans until they turn 26. Before the Affordable Care Act became law, many kids turned 18 and were dropped from their parent’s insurance plan. Losing health insurance coverage led to many young health individuals leaving the health insurance market entirely. Because of the lack of healthy individuals to balance out the high-need policyholders, insurance premiums became unaffordable for many young people. “Ensuring young Pennsylvanians can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until 26 will provide them with stability and peace of mind should the Republican Congressional majority repeal the Affordable Care Act,” Pashinski said. “That stability means they can begin pursuing their careers and building their lives without worrying about having the insurance needed to stay healthy and help in an emergency at a critical time in their lives.” House Bill 618 , sponsored by Rep. Jim Haddock, D-Lackawanna/Luzerne, would Read more

AMBRIDGE, Feb. 24 – New transportation infrastructure is coming to parts of Beaver County thanks to $651,200 in new grant funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, state Rep. Rob Matzie announced today. Matzie, who is chairman of the House majority caucus, said $300,000 was secured under the CFA Multimodal Transportation Fund to support construction of rail infrastructure that will serve the city of Aliquippa waterfront industrial site. The site is targeted for a $219 million advanced steelmaking facility. “The funding will support construction of a freight railroad connection to the state-of-the-art steel manufacturing plant the company plans to construct at the historic Aliquippa Works site,” Matzie said. “Having that transportation infrastructure in place is a critical step in development of the entire site.” Matzie said another $351,222 is headed for Hopewell Township for a project to install sidewalk extensions. “The township requested assistance to construct sidewalk extensions along Brodhead Road, Laird Avenue and Circle Drive,” Matzie said. “The extensions will improve pedestrian safety – including students walking to and from school – reduce crossing distances and add additional room for waiting space.” Matzie said two other projects outside his legislative district in Beaver County located in Midland Borough and South Beaver Township received funding of $200,000 and Read more