News Center

State House passes legislation to protect vaccine access across Pennsylvania

(19 hours ago) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – In the wake of major changes to a federal vaccine advisory panel that could threaten Pennsylvanians’ access to life-saving immunizations, the state House has passed legislation that would protect access to recommended vaccines, the bill’s co-prime sponsors, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan and Bridget Kosierowski -- all health professionals -- announced. The legislation, H.B. 1828 , would require private insurers to cover vaccines that have been recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The department would be able to draw upon the expertise of professional medical societies in that recommendation, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Venkat said this legislation is needed to ensure that critical immunization protections remain available to Pennsylvanians after recent developments from the federal government. “We have seen the firing of all members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and their replacement with several anti-vaccine activists. We have also seen the firing and resignation of the entire leadership of the CDC due to their unwillingness to support anti-vaccine Read more

 

PA House passes bill to promote early detection of colorectal cancer

(19 hours ago) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – The PA House today passed legislation ( H.B. 1123 ) that would update insurance coverage for colorectal cancer screenings in the state. The legislation was introduced by state Reps. Pat Gallagher, Sean Dougherty, Jordan Harris and Tarik Khan, all D-Phila. Current insurance law requires health insurance coverage for routine colorectal cancer screenings starting at age 50, but this is based on American Cancer Society standards published in 2008. Multiple other states have updated to the more recent American Cancer Society guidelines from 2018, and these new recommendations state that people should be screened starting at age 45 rather than 50. The Pennsylvania Department of Health also recommends that people begin screening at age 45. House Bill 1123 would update current law to reduce the age when colorectal cancer screenings are covered to 45 from 50, update the guidelines referenced in the law to the most recent edition, and update the tests covered by insurance to those recommended by the guidelines. Gallagher, who is a survivor of colorectal cancer, pointed out how this legislation can save lives. “As a survivor of colorectal cancer, I know firsthand the impact that early detection and proper care can have on an individual's journey through the labyrinth of cancer. This legislation is not just about updating insurance coverage; it's about Read more

 

Rep. Khan recognizes Young Involved Philadelphia

(20 hours ago) Rep. Tarik Khan

Rep. Khan honors Young Involved Philadelphia's 25th anniversary at a hearing in Harrisburg. Read more

 

Khan and Colleagues Introduce ‘PA Food Bank and Hunger Relief Program’ to Support Pennsylvanians Facing Food Insecurity

(7 minutes ago) Rep. Tarik Khan

The PA Food Bank and Hunger Relief Program will be formally introduced in both chambers this week. Lawmakers are urging bipartisan support to ensure Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents are not left behind. Read more

 

Senate Republicans Cost Us Transit Funding. Now They’re Blocking Schools and Nonprofits.

(Oct 22, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

After forcing SEPTA to use repair money to stay afloat, the Senate is still playing politics with Pennsylvania’s budget. Read more

 

Fiedler, Powell, Khan, Probst bill to address school facilities crisis in Pa. passes House

(Oct 10, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Oct 10 – On Wednesday, the School Facilities Inventory Bill, H.B. 1701, passed in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Phila., and Rep. Tarah Probst, D-Monroe/Pike, would address the issue of outdated and unsafe school buildings in Pennsylvania, facilitating the process by which school facilities are assessed and prioritized. “You can’t fix a problem until you know the scope of what you’re dealing with, and this bill gets us to that place,” Fiedler said. “H.B. 1701 would help us compile comprehensive data on Pennsylvania’s school buildings and ensure that recommendations on our most urgent funding needs are made by experts. That way, we can move quickly and efficiently to support schools in making repairs.” Fiedler noted that a wide scope of important building information would be provided, including the age of the buildings and their renovation history, building size and enrollment capacity. The assessments would also consider factors such as heating and ventilation, ADA compliance and environmental risk factors such as asbestos and mold. Currently, there is no statewide inventory of the condition of school buildings, nor is there statewide criteria for assessing facilities’ needs. The legislation passed Wednesday would create a comprehensive Read more

 

Bill to assess school environmental hazards passes PA House

(Oct 09, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Pa. state Rep. Tarik Khan speaks in support of legislation to assess environmental hazards like lead, mold, and asbestos in Pennsylvania’s public schools. Read more

 

State lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in health care

(Oct 06, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Oct. 6 – To ensure all Pennsylvanians, especially patients, can be assured that artificial intelligence technology is being used in a beneficial manner, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Joe Hogan, Tarik Khan, Bridget Kosierowski and Greg Scott have proposed bipartisan legislation that would regulate the application of AI in health care. AI is being rapidly implemented across the health care industry by insurers, hospitals and clinicians. It has been utilized for patient care, billing, research, claims management, utilization reviews, and assessments of cost-effectiveness. The legislation, H.B. 1925 , would provide new regulations for how AI is utilized and reported by insurers, hospitals and clinicians. These groups would need to provide transparency to patients and the public as to how AI is being used in their companies or practice settings. "As the only physician in the General Assembly, I have seen the rapid growth of AI usage in health care in real time,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “I am grateful for my bipartisan colleagues, including fellow health professionals, who are joining me on this legislation to make sure Pennsylvanians can be confident that AI is being used responsibly and effectively in the health care industry.” To prevent clinicians from overly relying on AI, the legislation would also ensure that a human decisionmaker would make the ultimate decision based on an Read more

 

Khan's bipartisan bill would crack down on human trafficking

(Oct 03, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Rep. Tarik Khan emphasized the need to train hospitality workers to recognize the signs of human trafficking Read more

 

Khan: Misleading CDC claims endanger lives of women, families

(Oct 01, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Rep says myths don’t just mislead — they endanger the lives of women and their families. Read more

 

Bill to protect vaccine access through pharmacists introduced in state House

(Sep 25, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Sept. 25 – In Washington, turmoil has grown among health policy agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which oversee key aspects of public health, including vaccines. In response, state Reps. Arvind Venkat , Tarik Khan , Bridget M. Kosierowski and Jennifer M. O’Mara have introduced legislation to protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines provided by pharmacists, regardless of federal policy changes. Current state law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines based on CDC recommendations. The new legislation, H.B. 1881 , would also allow pharmacists to provide vaccines based on recommendations from Pennsylvania health authorities, which may draw from guidance issued by professional medical societies. “Chaos in federal health agency policymaking, which is no longer backed by scientific evidence but instead by anti-vaccine ideology, will cost people’s lives,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “This legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to avoid the politicization of health care and get the lifesaving vaccines they need, even if the federal government stops recommending them purely due to politics.” Under the proposal, state vaccination approvals would come from Pennsylvania’s health authorities and could be informed by professional medical societies such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Read more

 

Why Everything Costs More—and the Common-Sense Way to Cut Costs

(Sep 19, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

House Democrats are using common sense make life affordable again— because you and your family deserve a break. Read more

 

Testifiers detail positive impacts of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression

(Sep 16, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

As Pennsylvanians living with severe mental health struggles continue to try to find treatment that works for them, studies show that new, innovative therapies can help address treatment-resistant depression. Read more

 

Khan Continues to Fight For Public Transit

(Sep 04, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Rep. Tarik Khan speaks at a rally this week for funding for SEPTA Read more

 

State lawmakers to introduce legislation to protect access to vaccines through pharmacists

(Sep 02, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, Sept. 2 – In Washington, there has been increasing turmoil among health policy agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that handle many important aspects of public health, including vaccines. Because of this, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Tarik Khan, Bridget M. Kosierowski and Jennifer M. O’Mara intend to introduce legislation that would protect Pennsylvanians’ access to vaccines provided by pharmacists regardless of federal policy changes. Current state law allows pharmacists to administer vaccines based on federal recommendations from the CDC. This new legislation would allow pharmacists to provide vaccines also based on recommendations from state health authorities, which may be informed by professional medical societies. “We will very soon see pharmacies cease their providing of certain vaccines due to the ongoing political turmoil in our federal health agencies, including the CDC,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny . “Chaos in federal health agency policymaking, which is no longer backed by scientific evidence, but instead by anti-vaccine ideology, will cost people’s lives. This legislation will allow Pennsylvanians to avoid this politicization of healthcare and get the life-saving vaccines they need, even if the federal government stops recommending them purely due to politics.” State vaccination administration approvals would additionally come from Read more

 

Khan: Tell Your State Senator to Fund SEPTA Now

(Aug 12, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Philadelphians can't afford higher SEPTA fares. PA state Rep. Tarik Khan has been working with HouseDems to fundSEPTA. Now it is time for the PASenate to step up. Call your state senator, tell them to pass a budget that fully funds SEPTA. Read more

 

State lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in health care

(Jul 28, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

HARRISBURG, July 28 – Artificial Intelligence is being rapidly implemented across the health care industry by insurers, hospitals, and clinicians. It has been utilized for patient care, billing, research, claims management, utilization reviews, and assessments of cost-effectiveness. To ensure all Pennsylvanians, especially patients, can be assured that this technology is being used in a beneficial manner, state Reps. Arvind Venkat, Joe Hogan, Tarik Khan, Bridget Kosierowski, and Greg Scott are proposing bipartisan legislation that would regulate the application of AI in health care. Read more

 

Even Billionaires Know Washington’s Big Budget Bill Ain’t Right

(Jul 24, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

While Washington politicians are cutting benefits, our House Democratic Majority has been working to strengthen the social safety net and help struggling Pennsylvanians. Read more

 

Khan's bipartisan food bill signed into law

(Jul 03, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

This law will help some of the 1.2 million Pennsylvanians going to bed hungry each night get access to food. Read more

 

Khan stands in solidarity with city workers

(Jul 01, 2025) Rep. Tarik Khan

Philadelphia House Democrats stand in solidarity as AFSCME DC33 fights for fair wages and benefits. Read more

 

State House passes legislation to protect vaccine access across Pennsylvania
19 hours ago

PA House passes bill to promote early detection of colorectal cancer
19 hours ago

Rep. Khan recognizes Young Involved Philadelphia
20 hours ago

Khan and Colleagues Introduce ‘PA Food Bank and Hunger Relief Program’ to Support Pennsylvanians Facing Food Insecurity
7 minutes ago

Senate Republicans Cost Us Transit Funding. Now They’re Blocking Schools and Nonprofits.
Oct 22, 2025

Fiedler, Powell, Khan, Probst bill to address school facilities crisis in Pa. passes House
Oct 10, 2025

Bill to assess school environmental hazards passes PA House
Oct 09, 2025

State lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in health care
Oct 06, 2025

Khan's bipartisan bill would crack down on human trafficking
Oct 03, 2025

Khan: Misleading CDC claims endanger lives of women, families
Oct 01, 2025

Bill to protect vaccine access through pharmacists introduced in state House
Sep 25, 2025

Why Everything Costs More—and the Common-Sense Way to Cut Costs
Sep 19, 2025

Testifiers detail positive impacts of psilocybin on treatment-resistant depression
Sep 16, 2025

Khan Continues to Fight For Public Transit
Sep 04, 2025

State lawmakers to introduce legislation to protect access to vaccines through pharmacists
Sep 02, 2025

Khan: Tell Your State Senator to Fund SEPTA Now
Aug 12, 2025

State lawmakers to introduce bipartisan legislation to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence in health care
Jul 28, 2025

Even Billionaires Know Washington’s Big Budget Bill Ain’t Right
Jul 24, 2025

Khan's bipartisan food bill signed into law
Jul 03, 2025

Khan stands in solidarity with city workers
Jul 01, 2025