Committees advance three of my bills for PA

Rep. Paul Friel April 25, 2025 | 2:25 PM

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Dear Neighbor,

I’m proud to report that three of my bills advanced from committee this week. Each of these bills has broad bipartisan support and they are expected to be voted on the House floor in the coming weeks.

H.B. 242 was approved in the House Finance Committee and would allow retiring farmers and new farmers to each qualify for a state tax credit, thereby benefitting more farmers under Pennsylvania’s Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program.

The bill would expand the program so that new farmers could share credits with the selling landowners. The program was originally established to encourage farmers and landowners to work with beginning farmers to help them get a start. However, since its passage in 2020, fewer than 50 applicants have been certified as beginning farmers under the program.

The credit would be changed to give holders the option to carry the credit over three years if it’s not fully used in the year it was awarded. Holders could also apply for a limited refund of the remaining credit after those three years.

Additionally, under the bill, the maximum allocation per farm or agricultural asset for the tax credit would be increased from $32,000 to $50,000.

It’s clear that Pennsylvania must provide better on-ramps for beginning farmers, and that’s where this bill comes in. All farming is worth incentivizing, but especially on local family farms, where Pennsylvania traditions and innovations are both passed on.

Meanwhile, H.B. 586 and H.B. 587 advanced from the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee. These bills would change the way that Pennsylvania handles and safeguards food-processing residuals – creating a statewide tracking process, updating operating procedures, and putting appropriate guardrails in place.

Food processing residuals, also known as FPR, are the leftover product created by commercial food processing. Food processing residuals can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps, and liquid-like cleaning fluid that includes blood, fat, hair and feathers, and a variety of other vegetable and animal byproducts and chemicals used to process them.

While FPR can be used to fertilize the soil, it can create numerous problems if care is not taken. For example, some areas of Pennsylvania have seen groundwater contamination. Many other areas find themselves dealing with consistent, noxious odors. Compounding the issue, surrounding states have heavily restricted or banned the use of FPR, making Pennsylvania a target for cheaply offloading the commercial product.

H.B. 586 would direct the Department of Environmental Protection, in coordination with the Department of Agriculture and the State Conservation Commission, to update guidance for those who store and apply FPR and would require the creation of a land application system to guide how, when, and in what quantities FPR can be applied. H.B. 587 would establish a certification program for the haulers and brokers of FPR.

I look forward to reporting back after these bills pass the House. If you have any questions about these bills, or any other legislation facing the General Assembly, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Town Hall meeting is May 1 in Phoenixville

You’re invited to attend a community Town Hall meeting from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 1 at The Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St. in Phoenixville to discuss legislative updates, hear about the services provided by my office, and answer your questions about government.

My Town Hall is about transparency, accountability, and hearing directly from the people I represent. Whether you have a question about legislation or just want to learn more about the services we offer, I hope you’ll join the conversation.

If you’d like to submit a question in advance, please email RepFriel@pahouse.net with the subject line, “Town Hall Question.”

I look forward to seeing you there!

REAL ID enforcement begins May 7

I’d like to remind you of the May 7 REAL ID enforcement date, which is right around the corner.

Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant license/identification card, or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to:

Board domestic commercial flights.
Enter a military base.
Enter certain federal facilities that require a federally acceptable form of ID.

To help deliver you a REAL ID, PennDOT offers REAL ID Mondays at driver license centers.

PA seeking former federal workers

Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order to help fill critical vacancies in the Commonwealth workforce with experienced and qualified former federal employees.

The order directs the Office of Administration to accept federal government experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience for identified critical vacancies, ensuring former federal employees with valuable experience can more easily apply for relevant Commonwealth jobs.

Visit here and please share with anyone you know could benefit!