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
HARRISBURG, Oct. 29 – House Bill 1974 , bipartisan legislation introduced by state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Jamie Flick to help target the growing public health concern of stimulant use disorder, which includes cocaine and methamphetamine use, has been reported out of the House Human Services Committee, 24-2. Unlike opioid use disorder, there is no FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment for stimulant use disorder. Contingency management is a widely recognized approach to address stimulant use disorder and involves providing modest, non-cash incentives, such as gift cards and transit or food vouchers, after achieving certain treatment goals, including negative drug screens and consistent counseling attendance. “As a physician, I have seen how difficult it can be to recover from stimulant use disorder and the impacts it has on members of my community and so many Pennsylvanians,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “I have also seen how contingency management can help that recovery and provide an answer to Pennsylvania’s ongoing cocaine and methamphetamine use challenges.” "Solutions that make sense, backed by evidence, are clearly needed in this fight against addiction,” said Flick, R-Lycoming/Union. “We know that medication-assisted treatment works with opioid addiction, and studies have shown this same effect with contingency management.” To help fund contingency management Read more
SEWICKLEY, Oct. 27 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, will host a community celebration for Diwali from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Baierl Family YMCA, 2565 Nicholson Road in Sewickley. “As a member of the Hindu community and the first Indian American elected to the state House, I am honored to celebrate and support our region’s vibrant South Asian community,” said Venkat. “This event helps to recognize and foster the diverse culture and communities that have made a tremendous impact on our Commonwealth.” Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is celebrated by over a billion Hindus, Jains and Sikhs across the world, and marks the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil, while also bringing family together for celebration and connection. The main day of the festivities falls on Oct. 20 this year. Venkat championed the effort to officially recognize Diwali as a state holiday in Pennsylvania. His bipartisan legislation to do that, H.B. 436 , passed the state House in April 2023. Companion legislation, S.B. 402 , was ultimately passed and signed into law as Act No. 112 of 2024 . Attendees are requested to RSVP, which can be done on Venkat’s website . Dry food donations will be collected at the event for North Hill Community Outreach. This marks Venkat’s third annual community celebration of Diwali, which he has done every year since taking Read more
My upcoming Diwali event; Standing up for healthcare access; Nominate an educator for Teacher of the Year; My legislation to treat stimulant use disorder – and more! Read more
My upcoming Diwali event; Learning about local economic developments; Local students receive music performance honors – and more! Read more
On Tuesday, Oct. 7, members of the PA House Energy Committee toured Cordia Energy’s Bruce Mangione Steam Plant in Harrisburg, where they got a closer look at the sustainable infrastructure that powers the Capitol Complex and much of Harrisburg. Read more
Moving bills out of committee; Meeting with healthcare professionals; My legislation to regulate AI in healthcare; Veterans can get free vaccines for pets – and more! Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 8 – As access to vaccines and the vital work of pharmacists are under attack by the federal government, three bills introduced by state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Allegheny, that would ensure Pennsylvanians can continue to have affordable and accessible vaccines and pharmacists can continue to keep communities healthy have been reported out of committees in the state House. The first bill, H.B. 1828 , would require that private insurers cover vaccines recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which can draw upon the expertise of several professional medical societies for recommendation. This bill is being co-sponsored with state Reps. Tarik Khan, D-Phila., and Bridget Kosierowski, D-Lackawanna. “This legislation is absolutely necessary to make sure Pennsylvanians have the access to vaccines they currently have,” said Venkat. “Due to the chaos in Washington, we will be at the judgement and altruism of insurance companies as to whether coverage of vital vaccines will be in place in Pennsylvania. This bill would ensure that Pennsylvanians are kept safe and healthy with affordable vaccines, regardless of what insurance companies or the federal government may push for.” The second bill, H.B. 1881 , would allow pharmacists to administer vaccines that are recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, which can draw upon the expertise of several professional medical societies for Read more
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
Proposing legislation to treat stimulant use disorder; Standing up for paid medical leave; Securing money for local fire companies; Franklin Park to hold Home Rule Charter town hall – and more! Read more
HARRISBURG, Sept. 30 – To help target the growing public health concern of stimulant use disorder, which includes cocaine and methamphetamine use, state Reps. Arvind Venkat and Jamie Flick are planning to introduce bipartisan legislation that would provide funding for contingency management, one of the most effective ways to treat the disorder. Unlike opioid use disorder, there is no FDA-approved medication-assisted treatment for stimulant use disorder. Contingency management is a widely recognized approach to treating stimulant use disorder and involves providing modest, non-cash incentives, such as gift cards and transit or food vouchers, after achieving certain treatment goals, including drug screens and consistent counseling attendance. “As a physician, I have seen how difficult it can be to recover from stimulant use disorder, and the impacts it has on the body,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny . “I have also seen how contingency management can help that recovery and provide an answer to Pennsylvania’s ongoing addiction concerns.” "Solutions that make sense, backed by evidence, are clearly needed in this fight against addiction,” said Flick, R-Lycoming/Union . “We know that medication-assisted treatment works with opioid addiction, and studies have shown this same effect with contingency management.” To help fund contingency management across Pennsylvania, this Read more
Check out my latest e-newsletter to read about my Saturday shred event, my bills to protect public access to vaccines, achievements by talented district youth, a special contest for high schoolers - and more! Read more
PITTSBURGH, Sept. 26 – With the support of state Rep. Arvind Venkat , D-Allegheny, and state Sen. Devlin Robinson , R-Allegheny, the Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company will receive $340,276 in state funding from the Office of the State Fire Commissioner. These funds will allow the fire company to retire debt on its newly purchased pumper/tanker. “As an emergency physician, I have seen firsthand how the crucial work of our fire services and first responders can save lives,” said Venkat. “As a legislator, I have seen how many fire companies are struggling with costs. I am committed to supporting our firefighters so they have the resources to continue serving us all.” “Our volunteer firefighters play an essential role in keeping communities safe, and they deserve strong support,” said Robinson. “This low-interest loan will help the Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company upgrade its resources and continue providing lifesaving services. I’m grateful to work alongside Rep. Venkat to ensure our first responders have the tools they need to protect the families who count on them.” This state funding, which comes from a low-interest loan, will go to a new 2025 Rosenbaur Custom Pumper/Tanker, which will be delivered in 2026. This vehicle, which holds 3,000 gallons of water and disperses 2,000 gallons of water per minute, will replace a 1993 Sutphen Pumper/Tanker. Read more
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
My upcoming shredding event; Advocating for better healthcare in Washington; Read my new print mailer; Public meetings on upcoming roadwork projects; New college scholarships available – and more! Read more
My Fall 2025 Print Newsletter Read more
My upcoming shred event, new traffic configurations, protecting vaccine access, recognizing our outstanding students – and more! Read more
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Protecting access to vaccines through pharmacists, solar power at our local schools, celebrating Labor Day, New RAD pass destinations – and more! Read more
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