My bill to ensure that members of the Pennsylvania National Guard and their families can fully access all the education benefits to which they are entitled is headed to the Governor’s desk, after receiving a unanimous concurrence vote in the PA House this week. 

House Bill 865, which I introduced with Republican state Rep. Craig Williams, would update the state’s Military Family Education Program to clarify that the program’s tuition benefit is renewable each time a Guard member reenlists or renews their service obligation for an additional six-year term. The program is a great way to encourage Guard service while giving back to the military families who sacrifice so much. It was further amended in the Pennsylvania Senate to reform and expand all National Guard educational benefits. You can hear my remarks here.

For months, on behalf of our community, I have elevated the dangers of the big ugly reconciliation bill. As I have repeatedly said and has been confirmed by analysts across the political spectrum, this legislation will eviscerate Medicaid, food assistance, and energy investment in our state. It will raise health care costs, stress emergency departments, close hospitals, and raise electricity prices.

Unfortunately, despite advocacy from me and our community, the legislation is poised to become law. In my role as a physician-legislator, I will continue to look for ways to mitigate the impact on our community and Pennsylvania. But the damage will likely be severe, and it will require diligence and the public holding elected officials accountable on the consequences of this bill to forge a more reasonable path forward.

Please elevate your voice with our federal elected officials, above, and ask them to address the adverse consequences of this dangerous legislation.

Vaccines have saved more than 154 million lives over the last 50 years and remain some of the most powerful tools in our arsenal for preventing disease. Unfortunately, actions at the federal level threaten to impact insurance coverage for, and access to, critical immunizations. I recently introduced legislation with state Reps. Tarik Khan and Bridget Kosierowski to protect Pennsylvanians’ access to FDA-approved vaccines that are recommended by physicians and public health experts. We cannot go backwards in our efforts to protect the health of every resident of our Commonwealth.

This week, I voted for – and the House passed – bills that would:

• Require Medicaid and CHIP to cover maternal blood pressure monitors.
• Protect firefighters by banning the use of toxic PFAS “forever chemicals” in firefighting foam.
• Distribute more life-saving naloxone by allowing EMS providers to leave one dose package of naloxone with the on-scene caregiver of a patient who overdosed in case of a repeat occurrence.
• Ban the use of “negative option” tactics, in which companies automatically sign consumers up for paid services after their free trial ends, leaving consumers who forget to cancel on the hook for months of charges.
• Require that patients be allowed to ask pharmacies about the actual cost of prescription drugs and require pharmacies to have information on hand about applying for low-cost health insurance through Pennie. 
• Enhance reporting about state drug and alcohol initiatives, including use of benchmarks to evaluate how well programs are working.
• Increase access to occupational therapy by authorizing Pennsylvania to join the National Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact.
• Help more entry-level firefighters progress through training by adding flexibility to the training process.
• Publicize company votes within our grid operator PJM that impact electricity rates.

Visit this page to read about other bills we passed this week.

In other news from the state Capitol, I had a great meeting with young women participating in Keystone Girls State, a program that educates high school students on state government. I appreciated their taking the time to talk with me – it is always great to see students engaged in the political process.

Last week, I met with some young constituents from Franklin Park and their partner from Indiana about their ‘Nurture Now’ initiative to address prenatal and maternal health disparities. As a physician-legislator and member of the PA Black Maternal Health Caucus, I have been focusing on efforts to improve Black maternal health outcomes, and it is encouraging to know that these motivated youth are adding their efforts and attention to this critically important issue.

Veena, Ashok, my staff, and I had a wonderful time at Franklin Park's Festival in the Park last Saturday! My favorite part of this job as your representative is meeting my neighbors and hearing about what is important to them.

More than 425,000 Pennsylvania seniors and residents with disabilities have begun receiving a total of $258 million in rebates on property taxes and rent paid in 2024.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program benefits income-eligible seniors 65 or older, widows or widowers 50 or older, and residents with a disability 18 or older.

I recently voted to expand the program to provide larger rebates and a higher qualifying income threshold. (The limit is now $46,520 for both homeowners and renters, and half of Social Security income is excluded for income calculation purposes.) The deadline to apply has been extended to Dec. 31, 2025, but the sooner you apply, the soon you can receive your rebate. Please remember that my office can help you apply!

Please be aware that our office will close at noon on Thursday, July 3 and will remain closed on Friday, July 4, in honor of Independence Day. We will re-open on Monday, July 7. I want to wish everyone a fun-filled and safe celebration. Please check out the fireworks safety tips below.

Finally, please remember that my talented staff can assist with a wide variety of state-related services, from filing applications for state programs and services to obtaining a Senior ConnectCard or disability placard, to solving problems involving PennDOT and other state agencies. Contact us or stop by to see how we can help. A list of the latest state grant programs is available here.
 

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.

Pennsylvania State Capitol

101 B East Wing

PO Box 202030

Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 772-2363

District Office

9800B McKnight Road, Suite 130
Pittsburgh, PA 15237

(412) 348-8028