HARRISBURG – Sen. Doug Mastriano (R-33) has introduced legislation to fix state law so families of certain first responders are no longer excluded from receiving “Line of Duty” death benefits.
“This proposal, called ‘Joshua’s Law,’ is named after Firefighter Joshua Laird who tragically lost his life in the line of duty,” said Mastriano. “Joshua was a longtime Pennsylvania resident, but he served as a firefighter in Maryland, and died in the line of duty on Aug. 11, 2021.
“Many of our first responders live here in Pennsylvania. They vote here, worship here, pay taxes here, their children go to school here – their lives are here, and like many of us, they drive to work,” Mastriano said. “The only difference is they drive into another state, sometimes only a few miles away from their home in Pennsylvania.
“We owe it to them to protect and provide for the families no matter where they make that ultimate sacrifice.”
With insufficient voting session days remaining in the 2023-24 legislative session to consider the bill, Mastriano will reintroduce the legislation during the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s 2025-26 legislative session.
LANCASTER — Senator Scott Martin (R-13) issued the following statement today regarding the investigation and identification of fraudulent voter registrations in Lancaster County:
“Having a safe and secure election system includes depending on county election workers carefully reviewing materials to root out any potential intentions of fraud or fraudulent actions. I am very grateful, but not surprised, that the Lancaster County Board of Election workers and the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office did a great job of identifying these fraudulent registrations. The County did its job; now it’s imperative for Secretary Al Schmidt and the Department of State to follow suit and provide all necessary resources and support to boards of elections across this Commonwealth to ensure this hasn’t been perpetuated in any of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Those individuals or organizations who engage in undermining the integrity of our elections must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law so Pennsylvanians can have full confidence in our election system.”
HARRISBURG – Legislation sponsored by Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24) and Sen. Frank Farry (R-6) to make the Workers’ Compensation system more efficient by moving more benefit payments from paper checks to direct deposit received final legislative approval Tuesday.
Senate Bill 1232 would allow individuals entitled to compensation to request funds be deposited to an account of their choosing. It will also allow insurers to no longer offer paper checks as a payment option as long as the individual has a bank account that can accept direct deposit.
More than 95% of workers receive their pay by direct deposit.
“This legislation will help workers and cut costs,” Pennycuick said. “Injured workers will get their benefits in a faster, more convenient manner, and insurers will be able to reduce processing time and mailing costs.”
“I am pleased to have worked with Sen. Pennycuick on this legislation that will modernize the Worker’s Compensation system, benefitting both injured workers and insurers in the commonwealth,” said Farry.
The reforms were unanimously recommended by the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council.
Senate Bill 1232 was amended in the House of Representatives and received final Senate approval this week.
“This bill adds to my longtime efforts to strengthen the Safe Haven Law in Pennsylvania, which is dedicated to saving innocent infants that are abandoned in harm’s way,” Brooks said. “Urgent care centers provide conveniently located, safe environments where parents can surrender unharmed newborns. By including these centers as an option, we can increase awareness efforts that save babies and offer them the chance to be raised in loving homes with families eager to provide care and support.”
Senate Bill 267 would include urgent care centers as additional safe havens for parents to surrender newborns within 28 days of birth. Currently, parents can relinquish their infants at any Pennsylvania hospital, to a police officer at a police station or to an emergency services provider at an EMS station. If the baby is unharmed and not a victim of a crime, parents will not face any penalties.
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services estimates that since 2003, Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law has saved the lives of 50 babies. Nationwide, between 1999 and 2013, approximately 2,138 babies were safely relinquished under similar safe haven laws.
Under the proposed legislation, health care providers at urgent care centers would be required to take any abandoned newborn into protective custody and facilitate the baby’s transport to a hospital, where another health care provider would take over care. Additionally, urgent care centers that accept newborns must display signs indicating the operating hours during which parents can surrender their infants. Recent statistics indicate that more than 350 urgent care centers are currently operating in Pennsylvania.
The bill now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.
HARRISBURG – The General Assembly passed legislation sponsored by Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-46) to allow first responders to access workers’ compensation benefits for a post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI). The bill is now poised for enactment.
Under the bill, firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians and paramedics would be entitled to benefits under the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation law for psychological traumas arising from individual traumatic events or cumulative highly stressful experiences resulting from their employment – even in the absence of physical injuries requiring medical treatment.
Current Pennsylvania law requires a first responder to prove there were “objective abnormal working conditions” to establish a PTSI claim. This standard is often difficult to meet.
“First responders commonly experience the most harrowing moments in others’ lives as part of their jobs. Because it’s typical for them – as opposed to something that would be very out of the ordinary for most other jobs – they are barred from accessing important care. We cannot continue to ask them to help us through extremely upsetting experiences without giving them crucial support,” Bartolotta said.
Senate Bill 365 would create clearer criteria for establishing a PTSI claim. It would require diagnosis from a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist per the American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition.
“We allocate resources to train, educate and prepare first responders to protect us and respond to crises but often fail to provide sufficient resources to support these individuals’ mental health. My bill would set reasonable standards to establish a workers’ compensation PTSI claim so our first responders receive the treatment they need and deserve,” Bartolotta said.
Sen. Elder Vogel, Jr. and Rep. Emily Kinkead were joined in front of the Capitol Hunger Garden by Sen. Judy Schwank; Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski; Sen. Tim Kearney; Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz; Rep. Tarik Khan; Corrie Lingenfelter, executive director; Chef Mieshia Jackson, executive chef, Downtown Daily Bread; Joe Arthur, CEO, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank; and Penn State Master Gardeners Ember Jandabar, Audree Khalishah, and Carol Webb to highlight the positive impacts the garden has on the Harrisburg community.
HARRISBURG – As the Capitol Hunger Garden closes out its 14th season, Sen. Elder Vogel (R-47) and Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-20) were joined by other state and local leaders as they reflected on the continued impact the garden has on the Harrisburg community and the importance of having access to fresh, healthy food options.
“The fight to combat hunger has not been the easiest of roads to navigate here in Pennsylvania with the complexities surrounding state and federal funding, however one of the ways the Hunger Caucus has continued to make a difference in this fight is through our established Capitol Hunger Garden,” said Vogel. “With our collaboration with the Downtown Daily Bread, over the years this garden has provided thousands of pounds of produce – all of which was given back to the Harrisburg community in the form of hearty meals for those in need.”
During the 2024 season, Penn State Master Gardeners and capitol volunteers harvested 727.5 pounds of vegetables and herbs.
Vogel added, “As someone who has been involved in the agriculture industry for most of my life, I know firsthand the incredible impact of having access to fresh food has on communities. I look forward to finding additional, fiscally responsible avenues where this can become more of a reality for Pennsylvanians in the future.”
“It is amazing to help lead this initiative providing hundreds of pounds of fresh produce for food insecure people living in our capital city,” Kinkead said. “In addition to directly combating hunger, the Capitol Hunger Garden is a space representing the fact that food access remains an issue for over 1.5 million Pennsylvanians. As lawmakers, staff, and community members walk by the garden, it serves as a powerful reminder that there is much more work to be done to adequately address food insecurity for communities across the Commonwealth.”
Vogel and Kinkead serve as the co-chairs of the Legislative Hunger Caucus. Established in 2008, the caucus seeks to raise awareness of hunger in the commonwealth. It has helped run the Capitol Hunger Garden and has done so since 2010.
Since then, the garden has fulfilled its goal of raising and providing quality produce to those in need by donating what is harvested to the Downtown Daily Bread, where they create healthy meal options to Harrisburg residents in need.
Other attendees included Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11), minority chair, Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee; Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, majority chair of the House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee; Sen. Tim Kearney; Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz; Rep. Tarik Khan; Corrie Lingenfelter, executive director, and Chef Mieshia Jackson, executive chef, Downtown Daily Bread; and Joe Arthur, CEO, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank.
Additionally, Penn State Master Gardeners Ember Jandabar, Audree Khalishah, and Carol Webb were in attendance.
“A huge thank you to our amazing volunteers at the Hunger Garden!” said Mieshia Jackson, executive chef for the Downtown Daily Bread. “Your dedication and hard work in bringing fresh, homegrown vegetables to our community makes such a difference. As someone who, just two summers ago, when taking on this new venture faced one huge challenge of “not knowing how to cook processed food,” this fresh produce has been a breath of fresh air. Your efforts nourish not only our bodies but our spirits as well. We couldn’t do this without you—thank you for helping us bring real, wholesome food to the table!”
Central Pennsylvania Food Bank CEO, Joe Arthur, added “The Central Pennsylvania Food Bank continues to see increased need year over year- 1 in 8 Pennsylvanians- and 1 in 6 children- face food insecurity. The Hunger Garden serves as a reminder that hunger exists in all communities across the commonwealth, while making a tangible difference in Harrisburg. Fresh produce is vital to improving the health of our neighbors, and we look forward to working with the General Assembly to ensure that all Pennsylvanian’s have access to nutritious foods.”
The Capitol Hunger Garden officially closed for the season on Oct. 10 and will open again in Spring 2025.
HARRISBURG – The House of Representatives today unanimously approved a bill sponsored by Sen. Wayne Langerholc, Jr. (R-35) to establish a statewide rape kit evidence tracking system.
Senate Bill 920 allows survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process, from collection to destruction. With this legislation, Pennsylvania will join 35 states and the District of Columbia that have already implemented rape kit tracking systems.
“Senate Bill 920 strengthens our commitment to empowering survivors and holding offenders accountable,” Langerholc said. “Establishing a rape kit tracking system in Pennsylvania will enable sexual assault survivors to monitor the status of their kits during an investigation, bringing transparency and accountability to the process.”
In addition to creating a rape kit tracking system, Senate Bill 920 brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the Fairness for Rape Kit Backlog Survivors provision of the recent Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) reauthorization.
To comply with VAWA, the bill provides a waiver for survivors who file untimely claims for compensation due to delays in rape kit testing. Survivors will not need to undergo an appeal process for consideration of this waiver.
Senate Bill 920 also empowers survivors by clarifying existing rights and enshrining new statutory rights for survivors of sexual assault.
This legislation builds on Langerholc’s leadership in supporting survivors of sexual assault. In 2018, he sponsored Act 164 to streamline the process of collecting sexual assault evidence and require regular reporting on related data. In 2019, he sponsored Act 29, which enacted a comprehensive bill of rights for survivors in Pennsylvania.
HARRISBURG – Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R-41) offered the following statement following PA Department of Revenue Secretary Pat Browne’s appearance before the Senate:
“While it is unfortunate it took significant urging to get to this day, we appreciate Revenue Secretary Browne appearing before the Senate for questioning regarding his refusal to comply with the Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee subpoena.
“We are encouraged by new information brought to light as a result of the proceedings. Upon receipt, we will conduct a thorough review of the additional materials promised by the Revenue Secretary to further explain his rationale and provide the legislature with recommended legislative language, including statutory changes which would be supported by Governor Shapiro, in order to allow a full audit to be completed.”
HARRISBURG – The Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Lisa Baker (R-20), this week advanced legislation that would provide additional protection for domestic violence survivors and their companion animals.
House Bill 1210 would give judges explicit authority to award temporary custody of a companion animal as part of a Protection from Abuse (PFA) order.
“For many survivors, pets are a crucial part of their support system,” said Baker. “When a survivor feels forced to relinquish their pet to escape violence, they often lose an important source of emotional support during the recovery process. By protecting these animals, we are helping empower survivors to make decisions that prioritize their well-being and the well-being of their loved ones – human and animal alike.”
Wyoming County District Attorney Joseph Peters expressed his support for the legislation. “My office recognizes and encounters the repercussions of Pennsylvania being one of the few states that doesn’t allow companion animals to be included on PFA Orders,” Peters said. “Abusers often use family pets as leverage in tormenting their victims, threatening to harm or kill the pet if the victim leaves.”
If enacted, Pennsylvania will join 38 states and the District of Columbia in recognizing the importance of including pets in protection order laws. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
HB 71 (Kerwin) Provides for a Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on the State Capitol grounds to honor and remember those who have fallen in the line of duty. HB 450 (Freeman) Amends the Main Street Act to allow Main Street Program grants to be used for certain administrative costs for up to ten years. HB 1231 (Sappey) Amends the Administrative Code to add ex officio members to the State Planning Board. HB 1304 (Solomon) Makes omnibus changes to Title 35 (Health and Safety) to provide for the next generation 911 system. HB 1850 (Smith-Wade-El) Amends the Second Class Township Code to clarify advertising requirements for annual audits. HB 2160 (Sappey) Amends the First Class Township Code to provide for filling vacancies when a township’s vacancy board is unable to act or when a majority of the board of commissioners positions are vacant. HB 2177 (Mullins) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to permit motorcycle safety inspections to be completed in all months of the year. HB 2265 (Donahue) Amends Title 8 (Boroughs) to increase the maximum compensation schedules for borough mayors and council members. HB 2378 (Abney) Amends the State Lottery Law to exclude savings bond principal and interest income from the definition of “income” when determining eligibility for the PACE and PACENET programs. HB 2426 (Gallagher) Amends Title 75 (Vehicles) to ban “license plate flipping devices.”
