Rallying for food allergy safety; raising the minimum wage; mandating defibrillators in schools

Rallying for food allergy safety; raising the minimum wage; mandating defibrillators in schools – and more!

Rep. Arvind Venkat June 12, 2025 | 6:28 PM

Joining Forces for Food Allergy Safety

Food allergy advocates and lawmakers joined forces at the Capitol earlier this week to rally for support of legislation I introduced with Rep. Natalie Mihalek (R-Allegheny) that would make PA’s restaurants safer for more than 1.3 million Pennsylvanians living with allergies.

Our H.B. 77 – which passed the House in February with strong bipartisan support – would require PA restaurants and other retail food establishments to display employee-information posters and provide notice to customers about food allergy safety. The speakers included Kathy Briden (above) of Franklin Park, an advocate and parent whose son Matthew died after an accidental food allergen exposure while eating at a restaurant in Allegheny County.

I want to thank Rep. Mihalek, Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks), Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Allegheny), and advocates from across the state for joining the press conference and for the advocates’ educational efforts with Senate Republicans to push for consideration of H.B. 77 in the State Senate.

You can read more about the bill and the news conference here.

Raising the Minimum Wage – and other House Votes

This Week

Pennsylvania workers continue to earn just $7.25 per hour, even as every single one of our neighboring states has raised their minimum wage above that amount. In fact, PA has not raised the minimum wage since 2009, leaving nearly 300,000 workers fighting to make ends meet.

This week, I joined my House Democratic colleagues in supporting legislation to change that. The bill would implement a tiered approach to bring every Pennsylvania worker to at least $12 an hour by January 2028, with subsequent cost-of-living increases. You can read more about the bill here.

In other House votes, I supported – and the House passed – bills that would:

Require Automated External Defibrillators at school athletic events.
Mandate insurance coverage for maternal blood pressure monitors.
Open a window for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse to seek justice.
Prevent publicly funded projects from using foreign-made steel.
Open a path for veterans to become educators.
Evaluate steps to make SNAP benefits more secure.
Improve clearance rates – the percentage of crimes solved – for violent crimes.
Protect workers from misclassification.
Modify what schools do with student height and weight data.
Exempt volunteer fire companies from certain nonprofit filing fees.
Cap teacher certification fees.

Visit this page to read more about these and other bills we passed recently.

Filing Deadline for Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Extended to Dec. 31

The deadline to apply for a rebate on property taxes or rent paid in 2024 has been extended to Dec. 31. Please remember that my office can help you apply. For assistance, please be sure to bring a valid photo ID, proof of all 2024 income, proof of 2024 property taxes paid (homeowners) or completed PA rent certificate (renters), and direct deposit information, if desired. You can read more about the program here.

Congrats, Scouts, and Good Luck, Tigers!

Last weekend in McCandless, I was honored to present House legislative citations to three young men from BSA Troop 335 who earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Congratulations, Eagle Scouts!

Good luck to the North Allegheny Tigers Boys Volleyball team, who advanced to the PIAA Class 3A State Championship this Saturday after a 3-2 victory in the semifinals. Visit the North Allegheny Tigers Athletic page here to read more.

Farmers Market Voucher Distribution Set for June 24

Seniors: please note that the original date for the farmers market voucher distribution has been changed. The new distribution date is Tuesday, June 24. Visit this page to find a list of distribution sites and this page to learn more about the program and eligibility requirements.

Upcoming Events

Jobseekers should mark their calendar for a Summer Job Fair on Friday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Main Branch (4400 Forbes Ave.). The event will feature hiring professionals from different industries as well as career and personal development resources. For questions, please contact sknox@jfcspgh.org.

The Town of McCandless is seeking public input for its Comprehensive Parks Master Plan and is encouraging residents to attend an open house/public meeting on Thursday, June 19, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Devlin Pavillion behind Town Hall.

The Allegheny Regional Asset District is bringing back its Summer Staycation program, which allows free admission to select Pittsburgh attractions through Aug. 31. Visit this page to learn more, including which organizations are participating.

Finding Funding and Help With State Services

Please remember that the state has a handy grant search tool. You can find a list of all the latest state grant openings at this page.

If you need help with state services, please contact my office or stop by. My talented staff can assist with filing applications, answering questions involving PennDOT and other state agencies, obtaining a disability placard or senior bus pass – and a host of other matters.

Please be aware that our office will be closed on Thursday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth, which commemorates the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure all enslaved people were freed. Honoring the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Visit this page for information about multiple Juneteenth events in our area.

You can read my e-newsletter in a way that’s preferable to you by visiting my legislative website here and clicking on the accessibility icon in the lower right corner.