STRENGTHENING PA

Affordable, reliable energy is a must for a vibrant, growing commonwealth. As we have seen during recent years, the price of energy directly impacts all aspects of our lives and our economy. We will ensure our electric grid remains reliable, that all sources of energy are used to power that grid and Pennsylvanians are shielded from unreasonable environmental standards and regulations that will ultimately raise consumer costs and create an uncertain energy future.

• Act 87 of 2024 (Yaw) establishes the legal and regulatory framework for potential carbon dioxide capture, utilization and sequestration in Pennsylvania. More
• Senate Bill 35 (Langerholc) eliminates the 2023 automatic gas tax increase. More
• Senate Bill 143 (Yaw) ensures state residents have options when it comes to fuel availability by preventing municipal entities from banning a specific type of fuel source for appliances and heating homes or businesses. More
• Senate Bill 819 (Yaw) increases fines and penalties against those who intentionally vandalize or attack critical infrastructure. More
• Senate Bill 832 (Yaw) creates the Independent Energy Office and the Pennsylvania Opportunity With Energy Reliability (POWER) board to provide data-driven energy analysis and a public clearinghouse for energy development in Pennsylvania. More
• Senate Bill 1058 (Yaw) repeals the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) electricity tax enacted through an executive order by the Wolf administration in 2019.More
• Senate Resolution 9 (Langerholc) urges the Biden administration to restart and expedite the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline to bolster energy independence and create up to 60,000 jobs annually. More

We will build on the work we’ve done improving our state’s tax structure – including the ongoing reduction of the Corporate Net Income Tax – redesigning our state system of higher education to better align degree programs with marketplace needs, modernizing our workforce development laws and creating new tax credits to generate jobs in key economic sectors, including manufacturing and agriculture.

• The Senate-passed 2024-25 state budget boosts support for the PA Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites (SITES) Program to ensure business sites are prepared for development, continues the phase down of the jobs-killing Corporate Net Income Tax, and includes funding for the innovative Grow PA plan, which offers scholarships to attract and retain young people to pursue high-demand careers and remain in Pennsylvania after graduation. More
• Act 34 of 2023 (Fiscal Code) transfers $65 million to the Service and Infrastructure Improvement Fund to maintain staffing and services offered to Unemployment Compensation claimants and creates two new Keystone Opportunity Zones to bring new businesses to underdeveloped and underutilized parcels. More
• Act 65 of 2023 (Coleman) expands the ability of the commissioner of the Pennsylvania Department of State Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs to clear a professional’s disciplinary record. More
• Act 24 of 2024 (Robinson) establishes the Max Manufacturing Initiative Act, which provides grants and loans to state universities so they can partner with engineering entities to enhance research capabilities, promote business alliances, produce high-value products and create family-sustaining jobs. More 
• Senate Bill 69 (Langerholc) creates a Recovery to Work pilot program to connect individuals in recovery with high-priority occupations through local workforce development boards. More
• Senate Bill 761 (Bartolotta) requires the state to share workforce data on wages, new hires and unemployment claimants with local workforce development boards to help connect Pennsylvanians with the right jobs. More
• Senate Resolution 169 (Coleman) directs the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study state workforce development programs and make suggestions to improve delivery of services to better help workers and employers. More

Infrastructure improvement will remain key to attracting new jobs to and keeping existing ones in Pennsylvania. We’re committed to bringing broadband internet to all Pennsylvanians and ensuring funding continues to be available for clean water infrastructure, road and bridge maintenance and construction, and affordable housing.

• The Senate-passed 2024-25 state budget makes more resources available to help repair roads and bridges by allocating an additional $80.5 million in one-time dollars, continuing to phase out the State Police from the Motor License Fund, and establishing a fee to ensure electric vehicle users pay their fair share toward the state’s infrastructure needs. More
• Senate Bill 121 (Langerholc) restricts the diversion of transportation funding out of the Motor License Fund and increase resources for road and bridge improvements. More
• Senate Bill 597 (Laughlin) modernizes management of public transportation by providing funding predictability and ensuring funding is spent as dictated by local decision-making.  More
• Senate Bill 656 (Rothman) replaces the state Alternative Fuels Tax on electric vehicle owners with a flat annual fee to ensure sound funding for Pennsylvania roads and bridges. More 
• Senate Bill 799 (Rothman) makes state funding available for local bridge projects. More

We will continue our work to tackle health care staffing shortages, improve patient care options, reduce administrative burdens for health care providers, fight the opioid epidemic, support our law enforcement officers and emergency responders, and provide for greater school safety through school-based mental health services, counselors and training.

Health

• The Senate-passed 2024-25 state budget includes new funding for county mental health ($20 million) and rate increases for nursing facilities ($134 million), intellectual disability/autism services ($278 million) and LIFE providers ($16.7 million) that will make a huge difference in the lives of many Pennsylvanians. More
• Act 1 of 2023 (K. Ward) eliminates out-of-pocket costs for genetic testing of hereditary cancer syndromes and supplemental breast screenings for women at high risk of developing breast cancer. More
• Act 15 of 2023 addresses the crucial public health needs for emergency medical services, hospitals and nursing homes and ensures Pennsylvanians continue to receive access to needed health care services. More
• Act 32 of 2023 (Brooks) grants children less than a year old access to medically prescribed pasteurized human donor milk by requiring Medical Assistance coverage in inpatient and outpatient settings. More
• Act 34 of 2023 (Fiscal Code) ensures nursing homes with high percentages of Medical Assistance residents receive incentive payments from the first day of residency. More
• Act 43 of 2023 (Mastriano) requires hospitals to test for fentanyl and xylazine when treating a person who is receiving a standard urine drug screening in an emergency room. More
• Act 62 of 2023 (J. Ward) prevents senior citizens in Pennsylvania’s prescription drug programs from losing their benefits due to a Social Security cost-of-living increase. More
• Act 66 of 2023 (Brooks) increases access to licensed addiction treatment programs for Pennsylvanians. More
• Act 15 of 2024 (Culver) gives the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture the authority to require retailers to post information about dangerous transmittable diseases at locations where domestic animals and feed are sold to the public. More
• Act 109 of 2024 (J. Ward) enables certified nurse aids to train to become certified medication aides and deliver common, minimally invasive prescribed medications to residents of nursing facilities. More
• Act 118 of 2024 excludes principal and interest accrued from savings bonds when calculating income eligibility for PACE and PACENET senior prescription drug programs so holders cashing in bonds don’t lose eligibility.
• Act 137 of 2024 (Culver) enables licensed practical nurses working in a hospice setting to make death pronouncements, alleviating wait times that grieving families often experience. More
• Act 143 of 2024 (Robinson) expands access to sign language interpreters by creating new pathways for certification. More
• Senate Bill 69 (Langerholc) creates a Recovery to Work pilot program to connect individuals in recovery with high-priority occupations through local workforce development boards. More
• Senate Bill 162 (Hutchinson) allows more health professionals to participate in the Medical Officer Health Incentive Program, helping to ease the shortage of medical specialists in the Pennsylvania National Guard. More
• Senate Bill 559, Senate Bill 560 (Baker) give athletic trainers the ability to deliver a wider scope of health care services to more individuals. More
• Senate Bill 1054 (Mastriano) ensures known or suspected drug overdoses treated by EMS providers are recorded in a statewide tracking system. More
• Senate Resolution 46 (Pennycuick) establishes the Task Force on Women Veterans’ Health Care in Pennsylvania to provide care for the unique health needs of women veterans. More 

Safety

• Act 10 of 2023 (Farry) gives municipal police the statutory authority to conduct fingerprint-based criminal history checks on police applicants.
• Act 19 of 2023 (Langerholc) extends and revamps the school bus stop arm automated enforcement program. More
• Act 34 of 2023 (Fiscal Code) updates 911 funding to meet the expanding cost of services to counties and funds an additional 100 Pennsylvania State Police troopers to help make our communities safer.
• Act 39 of 2023 (Dush) ensures that sexually exploited children who are human trafficking victims always have full access to appropriate services and support. More
• Act 40 of 2023 (Langerholc) cracks down on the unchecked crime crisis plaguing Philadelphia’s mass transit system. More
• Act 41 of 2023 (Farry) cracks down on “porch pirating” by setting specific penalties for theft of mail, which includes a package, bag or letter. More
• Act 42 of 2023 (Argall) targets looting and organized retail theft by setting penalties of up to 20 years in prison for thieves who steal $50,000 worth of goods and intend to resell them. More
• Act 44 of 2023 (Bartolotta) establishes a mandatory probation review conference for probationers, providing criteria for when they occur and a presumption that probation will be terminated unless the individual does not qualify. More
• Act 59 of 2023 (Vogel) improves access to Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANEs). More
• Act 60 of 2023 (Regan) expands the list of law enforcement entities covered under the Heart and Lung Act, which provides for salary and medical expenses to be paid when an officer or firefighter is injured on the job. More
• Act 61 of 2023 (Baker) prevents the exploitation of older Pennsylvanians by strengthening guardianship laws. More
• Act 65 of 2023 (Coleman) enables professionals who make minor mistakes to have a second chance by clearing their disciplinary record. More
• Act 11 of 2024 establishes the Keystone First Responder Award to be presented to a first responder who sustained a career-ending injury in the line of duty or the next of kin of a first responder who was killed in the line of duty.
• Act 16 of 2024 (Baker) ensures that individuals convicted of certain human trafficking offenses are subject to the same reporting and evaluation requirements as any other sexual offender. More
• Act 35 of 2024 (Culver) extends the life and reforms the structure of a state board responsible for policy analysis and data oversight related to weather maps, real estate listings, traffic and accident data, emergency responses and other geospatial information. More
• Act 18 of 2024 (Brown) prohibits the use of handheld cellular and other devices while driving to reduce the number of distracted driving fatalities. More
• Act 33 of 2024 (Pennycuick) provides citizens affected by a data breach a free credit report and a year of credit monitoring while they recover. More
• Act 113 of 2024 establishes an Urban Search and Rescue Task Force in Western Pennsylvania. More
• Act 121 of 2024 (Bartolotta) allows first responders to access workers’ compensation benefits for a post-traumatic stress injury. More
• Act 122 of 2024 (Langerholc) establishes a statewide rape kit evidence tracking system, allowing survivors to track the status of their rape kits throughout the testing process. More
• Act 125 of 2024(Pennycuick) closes a legal loophole and outlaws deepfake images of minors and child sexual abuse materials generated by AI. More
• Act 127 of 2024(Baker) permanently extends the PA One Call Law and enhances safety protocols such as better communication between excavators, facility owners and the Public Utility Commission. More
• Act 134 of 2024(Brooks) expands Pennsylvania’s Safe Haven Law to allow parents to surrender their unharmed baby at participating urgent care centers. More
• Act 139 , Act 140,  Act 141 of 2024 (Brown) allows municipalities to allocate a larger portion of fire and EMS tax revenue to fire and EMS personnel costs, without altering tax rate municipalities may charge. More
• Act 146 of 2024 amends the Protection from Abuse Act in order to give judges the ability to order the defendant to refrain from abusing the victim’s pets.
• Act 147 of 2024 modernizes the 911 emergency dispatch law to ensure the viability of critical emergency response infrastructure.
• Act 150 of 2024 prohibits the use of license plate flipping devices, which conceal license plates or switch one license plate to another.
• Act 151 of 2024 (Brooks) extends Pennsylvania’s Lemon Law protections to include motorcycles. More
• Senate Bill 1 (Laughlin) lets voters decide whether the Pennsylvania Constitution should be amended to create a two-year window to allow sexual abuse victims to sue their abusers. More
• Senate Bill 114 (Brooks) addresses the serious shortage of volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania by creating a pilot program giving interested high school students training in firefighting. More
• Senate Bill 137 (Mastriano) helps protect Pennsylvania senior citizens from financial exploitation by requiring the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General to notify the Department of Aging about any investigations or enforcement actions involving someone age 65 or older and related to the Pennsylvania Telemarketer Registration Act. More
• Senate Bill 165 prohibits drug “injection sites” in our communities.
• Senate Bill 235 (Mastriano) enacts harsher penalties for drug dealers who sell products that lead to the poisoning death of a victim, including drugs laced with fentanyl. More
• Senate Bill 379 (Phillips-Hill) shields citizen data from unauthorized access by prohibiting state-owned devices and networks from downloading and using TikTok. More
• Senate Bill 423 (J. Ward) enables the state to hire more part-time fire instructors by allowing retired state employees to serve while continuing to collect their state pensions. More
• Senate Bill 433 (Baker) requires Senate confirmation of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency to increase accountability and ensure the agency is prepared to deal with emergencies efficiently and effectively. More
• Senate Bill 453 (Phillips-Hill) updates Pennsylvania’s DUI law to hold offenders accountable. More
• Senate Bill 460 (Bartolotta) provides child identification kits to parents to help identify and return missing children. More
• Senate Bill 745 (Phillips-Hill) mandates that any acquisition of computer hardware by the state must adhere to the National Institute of Standards and Technology guidelines for computer security. More
• Senate Bill 792 (Robinson) establishes a western Pennsylvania-based Urban Search and Rescue task force to supplement Task Force One located in the southeastern part of the commonwealth. More
• Senate Bill 897 (Baker) improves school bus safety by increasing penalties for those refusing to follow the law. More
• Senate Bill 959 (Robinson) aligns state drug scheduling with federal practices to keep up with new drugs feeding Pennsylvania’s opioid crisis. More
• Senate Bill 977 (Farry) safeguards transit operators against assault by making it a serious crime to interfere with an operator of any public transit vehicle. More
• Senate Bill 1101 (Mastriano) aims to increase the number of volunteer firefighters in Pennsylvania by reforming the certification process. More
• Senate Bill 1111 (Baker) ensures that individuals convicted of certain human trafficking offenses are subject to the same reporting and evaluation requirements as any other sexual offender. More
• Senate Bill 1118 (Stefano) allows magisterial district judges to grant Pennsylvania drivers who are unable to pay the fees and fines of their suspended license the option to pursue community service as a payment alternative. More
• Senate Bill 1120 (Robinson) strengthens the bail determination process for dangerous individuals: repeat violent offenders, drug dealers trafficking fentanyl and those who assault law enforcement officers or evade arrest on foo More
• Senate Bill 1127 (Laughlin) requires prosecutors across the state to notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement whenever illegal migrants are charged with violating state law. More
• Senate Bill 1230 (Baker) requires the Department of Labor and Industry to adopt an updated elevator safety code, effective July 1, 2025. More
• Senate Bill 1317 (Baker) requires individuals convicted of sexual assault by sports official, volunteer or employee of nonprofit association to register as a sexual offender under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). More
• Senate Resolution 251 (Mastriano) calls on the governor to deploy the Pennsylvania National Guard along Texas’s southern border in response to the unprecedented rise in illegal immigration. More
• House Bill 27 consolidates school safety programs and operations under the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and creates a new panel to review school safety issues and identify emerging trends. More 

Mental health influences our quality of life, so in addition to supporting school-based services and expanded access for all to drug and alcohol programs, we will continue this session to press for mental health funding that stimulates innovation within our health care delivery system to produce efficient and effective results.

• Act 33 of 2023 (School Code) dedicates $100 million for school mental health, helping to address a major need as mental health needs for young people continue to rise. More
• Act 34 of 2023 (Fiscal Code) provides an additional $20 million for county mental health programs. More
• Act 55 of 2024 (School Code)
  • Allocates $100 million to address school safety and security needs and mental health concerns.
  • Provides schools funds for secure, lockable smartphone bags in which students would deposit their mobile devices until the end of the school day, improving student mental health and academic performance. More
• Act 54 of 2024 (Fiscal Code) includes $20 million in new funding for county mental health services.

The governor made a campaign promise to provide greater school choice to parents, and we intend to hold him to that promise. We remain committed to providing schools with more flexibility to get the staffing resources needed to address teacher shortages. And we will continue to lead efforts to increase parental involvement in the education of their children.

• Act 33 of 2023 (School Code)
  • $100 million for K-12 mental health programs for schools.
  • An additional $150 million for education tax credits to provide scholarships to students through the existing Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs.
  • $295 million for Ready-to-Learn Block Grants.
  • More than $261 million for community colleges, $12 million in funding for career and technical schools and $70 million for public libraries.
  • More than $76 million in Special Education funding for Intermediate Units.
  • $10 million to create a new Educator Pipeline Support Grant Program to provide grants to student teachers.
  • Ensures greater collaboration in keeping children safe in the classroom by consolidating school safety programs and operations under Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
  • Creates a Public School Facility Improvement Grant Program to support critical school infrastructure and facility improvements.
  • Provides students with the foundation to become proficient at money management by requiring completion of a half-credit personal finance course during high school.  More

• Act 11A of 2023 supports funding and additional transparency measures for Pennsylvania’s state-related universities. More
• Act 19 of 2023 (Langerholc) extends and revamps the school bus stop arm automated enforcement program. More
• Act 24 of 2023 makes it easier for students of relocating military families to enroll in school. More
• Act 26 of 2023 (Phillips-Hill) eliminates a section from the state Education Code that prohibits a teacher from wearing any dress, mark, emblem or insignia indicative of his or her faith or denomination. More
• Act 55 of 2024 (School Code)
  • For the third consecutive year, the budget includes more than $1 billion dollars in new K-12 funding.
  • $285 million increase for Basic Education.
  • $526 million more for Ready-to-Learn Block Grants and $100 million for school facility improvements.
  • Special education ($100 million increase).
  • Career and technical schools (CTE) ($25 million increase).
  • CTE equipment grants ($5 million increase).
  • A $100 million cyber charter reimbursement for school districts.
  • School districts will also see reduced cyber charter school special education costs of $34.5 million by revising the formula used to calculate tuition.
  • $75 million increase in Educational Improvement Tax Credits, bringing total funding for the program to a record $630 million.
  • $100 million to address school safety and security needs and mental health concerns.
  • Requires every school district across the commonwealth to have an armed school security officer and includes funding to help schools cover the costs. More
  • Includes funding for the innovative Grow PA post-secondary education and career preparation plan, which offers scholarships to attract and retain young people to pursue high-demand careers and remain in Pennsylvania after graduation, helping Pennsylvania to turn around our demographic decline.
  • Includes an additional $25 million for career and technical education and $5 million for equipment grants (also part of the Grow PA package), to ensure the state’s workforce is ready to tackle the challenges facing the global economy in the years ahead.
  • Provides schools funds for secure, lockable smartphone bags in which students would deposit their mobile devices until the end of the school day, improving student mental health and academic performance. More

• Act 67 of 2024 ensures that a child may not be disenrolled from a school district if there is a dispute over the parent’s residency.
• Act 69 of 2024 requires community college credits to transfer toward parallel programs at PASSHE PA State System of Higher Education schools.
• Act 82 of 2024 (Pennycuick) provides educational support for children of National Guard and Reserves members. More
• Act 89 of 2024 (Martin) establishes Grow PA Scholarships for in-state students who attend college in Pennsylvania, pursue a degree in a high-demand industry, and agree to live and work in that industry in Pennsylvania after graduation. Grow PA
• Act 90 of 2024 (Aument) adds performance-based metrics to funding for state-related universities, including the University of Pittsburgh, Penn State University and Temple University to provide added accountability to taxpayers. Grow PA
• Act 120 of 2024 (Brooks) requires schools to notify a parent or guardian in writing if a tick is removed from a student, in addition to providing information on the symptoms of Lyme disease. More
• Act 135 of 2024(Aument) gives students the best chance of success through a strong, evidence-based reading program. More
• Senate Bill 7 (Aument) empowers parents to protect their own child from accessing sexually explicit content at school, without impacting the books available to other students. More
• Senate Bill 340 (Mastriano) requires schools to post on a publicly accessible website an internet link or title for every textbook and course syllabus used for each class. More
• Senate Bill 897 (Baker) enhances the safe transportation of school children by establishing new traffic rules and strengthening penalties for overtaking a school bus. More
• Senate Bill 913 (Langerholc) requires schools to receive parental consent before providing students with uncertified or unregulated behavioral health support. More
• Senate Bill 971 (Coleman) ensures parents are notified when a weapon is discovered at a school or school-sponsored event their child attends. More
• Senate Bill 975 (Brooks) makes it a felony of the third degree to knowingly report a false threat at a school or educational facility and allows courts to sentence anyone convicted to pay the costs of an evacuation or response. More
• Senate Bill 1151 (Martin) creates Grow PA Merit Scholarships to allow high-performing, out-of-state students pursuing in-demand occupations to pay lower, in-state tuition at Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education schools. Grow PA
• Senate Bill 1152 (Robinson) expands Ready to Succeed Scholarships to help as many as 24,000 additional students cover post-secondary education costs. Grow PA
• Senate Bill 1153 (Pennycuick) expands Fostering Independence Tuition Waivers to nonresident students, waiving Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education tuition and fees for children in the foster care system and children who were adopted. Grow PA
• Senate Bill 1155 (Argall) creates a Higher Education Task Force to improve higher education and career preparation programs. Grow PA
• Senate Bill 750 (Martin) requires Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) completion for high school seniors, ensuring families have access to vital information on higher education aid, career and technical education, certificate programs and more. Grow PA
• Senate Bill 1157 (Argall) allows parents of children with autism, developmental delays or intellectual disabilities to delay their children attending school for as long as one year. More
• Senate Bill 1176 (Dush) requires schools to accept cash as payment for entry to all school-sponsored activities, including sporting events sanctioned by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. More
• Senate Bill 1274 (Robinson) modernizes state requirements for sign language interpreters by creating new pathways for certification, addressing outdated standards and streamlining the criteria for interpreter registration. More
• Senate Resolution 178 (Martin) initiates a comprehensive study of Pennsylvania’s approach to school safety to build on recent successes to keep kids safer in the classroom. More
• House Bill 611 funds the PA Award for Student Success (PASS) school choice initiative to give children access to the best learning environment possible. (PASS provision vetoed by governor.)

Following our success with last session’s historic reduction in taxes on employers, we will continue our fight to fix our tax structure so Pennsylvanians can find good jobs, provide for their families and keep more of their hard-earned money.

• Act 1A of 2023 reduced the governor’s 2023-24 budget spending request, held the line on taxes and set aside more money in the Rainy Day Fund to protect taxpayers against future economic downturns. More
• Act 34 of 2023 (Fiscal Code)
  • Expands the Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Program.
  • Helps reduce the tax burden for counties and municipalities that have a large percentage of state-owned property dedicated to outdoor recreation by increasing the per acre payment in lieu of taxes made by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Game Commission, and the Fish and Boat Commission.
  • Provides for a state personal income tax exemption for contributions to Dependent Care Assistance and Flexible Saving Accounts, which are used to cover employment-related expenses. More
• The Senate-passed 2024-25 state budget includes no new taxes, continues the phase down of the Corporate Net Income Tax and adds nearly $740 million to the Rainy Day Fund to hedge against any economic downturn. More
• Act 7 of 2023 expands eligibility and refund amounts in the Property Tax Rent Rebate Program.
• Senate Bill 35 (Langerholc) stops the 2023 automatic gas tax increase. More
• Senate Bill 671 (Farry) returns Philadelphia commuter tax dollars wrongfully withheld from surrounding communities. More
• Senate Bill 269 (Gebhard) implements the largest working-families tax cut in Pennsylvania history, reducing the Personal Income Tax rate from 3.07% to 2.8% and eliminating the Gross Receipts Tax on energy. More
• Senate Bill 1051 (Hutchinson) modifies the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue tax appeals process to encourage settlements and allow more appeals to be resolved without a final board decision or need to go to court. More
• Senate Bill 1149 (Mastriano) enables Pennsylvania victims of the Norfolk Southern train wreck near East Palestine, Ohio, to keep more of their money by exempting from the state income tax any disaster relief payments. More

Excessive government regulations consistently raise costs to consumers and chase away employers who locate in states without such onerous rules. We will build on last session’s largest regulatory relief effort in modern history, with the elimination, alteration and update of key regulations through more than 15 pieces of legislation.

• The Senate-passed 2024-25 state budget creates the Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) Program to establish permit review timelines by DEP and conservation districts, as well as a permit tracking system and the option for third-party review of air, earth disturbance and water permit applications. It also begins the process of eliminating the Start-Up Penalty that thwarts entrepreneurship, eliminating another major barrier to attracting businesses. More
  
• Act 27 of 2023 (J. Ward) repeals an outdated law regulating the frozen dessert industry in Pennsylvania. More
• Act 81 of 2024 (DiSanto) authorizes the Pennsylvania Treasury Department to return unclaimed property without the need for rightful owners to search for it. More
• Act 123 of 2024 (Hutchison) improves the Pennsylvania Board of Finance and Revenue tax appeals process so more appeals will be resolved without a final board decision or need to go to Commonwealth Court. More
• Act 126 of 2024 (Pennycuick) makes the Workers’ Compensation system more efficient by moving more benefit payments from paper checks to direct deposit. More
• Act 149 of 2024 allows year-round motorcycle safety inspections in Pennsylvania. More
• Senate Bill 1 (Laughlin) lets voters decide whether the Pennsylvania Constitution should be amended to allow the General Assembly to reject a regulation by majority approval, as opposed to a two-thirds vote, in both legislative chambers. More
• Senate Bill 95 (Langerholc) removes a duplicative, unnecessary requirement that prevents farmers from meeting the rising demand for farm products delivered to homes. More
• Senate Bill 153(J. Ward) exempts milk haulers and their perishable product from travel bans imposed during a declaration of disaster emergency. More
• Senate Bill 188 (DiSanto) requires regulations with an economic impact on taxpayers and employers exceeding $1 million to go before the General Assembly for approval before taking effect. More
• Senate Bill 190 (Brooks) requires an automatic review after three years of all regulations with an economic impact on taxpayers and employers exceeding $1 million. More
• Senate Bill 198(Bartolotta) balances the need for citizens to have the chance to voice their concerns while also making Pennsylvania’s permit appeals process efficient and predictable. More
• Senate Bill 199 (Bartolotta) requires judges who would like to stay on the Environmental Hearing Board for more than one term to be reconfirmed by the Senate after their term expires. More
• Senate Bill 243 (Argall) ensures that Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medical Assistance benefits are not spent on the deceased. More
• Senate Bill 244 (Argall) requires the Department of Human Services to compare income and employment records held by the Department of Labor and Industry with recipients of SNAP and medical assistance benefits to prevent fraud. More
• Senate Bill 245 (Argall) requires the Department of Human Services to issue a yearly report on its efforts to ensure lottery winners are not receiving cash benefits. More
• Senate Bill 350 (Phillips-Hill) requires state agencies to create an accessible website for permit applicants to check their application status, state the legal authority to reject the permit application and deems a permit, license or certification approved if the agency reviewing the application misses its statutory deadline. More
• Senate Bill 691 (Yaw) renames the Department of Environmental Protection the Department of Environmental Services. More

Senate Republicans led efforts in 2022 to enact one of the most significant election integrity packages in the nation, including measures to ban third-party funding of election administration and require counties to clean up voter rolls, report the number of registered voters prior to an election, and count ballots without interruption.

• Senate Bill 1 (Laughlin) lets voters decide whether the Pennsylvania Constitution should be amended to create a voter ID requirement. More

We believe Pennsylvania owes a debt of gratitude to all the brave men and women who have defended our freedom, as well as the citizens who continue to protect our nation and its interests across the globe.

• Act 13 of 2023 adds the departments of Agriculture and Health to the list of agencies that are required to ensure that military members do not forfeit their license and certification and are exempt from continuing educational requirements.
• Act 14 of 2023 ensures that students receive in-state tuition when their military parent is re-assigned out-of-state.
• Act 16 of 2023 (Mastriano) allows civilians and members of the military of a friendly foreign nation to be awarded the Pennsylvania Distinguished Service Medal and the Pennsylvania Meritorious Service Medal. More
• Act 1 of 2024 allows veterans and others to fish for free in therapeutic recreation events and programs.
• Act 27 of 2024 (Mastriano) exempts 100% of disabled veterans’ benefit payments from income calculations for any commonwealth programs or benefits. More
• Act 60 of 2024 allows recipients of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal to apply for a specialty license plate. More
• Act 70 of 2024 (Mastriano) codifies into law the PA VETConnect Program to better connect veterans to available resources. More
• Act 71 of 2024 provides additional community outreach services to help ensure that all veterans are aware of the resources that are available to them.
• Act 82 of 2024 (Pennycuick) provides educational support for children of National Guard and Reserves members. More
• Act 97 of 2024 increases protections of sensitive veteran records to prevent fraud and theft.
• Act 124 of 2024 (Mastriano) establishes March 29 of each year as Vietnam War Veterans Day in Pennsylvania.
• Act 145 of 2024 authorizes construction of the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument on the State Capitol Complex.
• Senate Bill 162 (Hutchinson) allows more health professionals to participate in the Medical Officer Health Incentive Program. More
• Senate Bill 194 (Pennycuick) allows more 100% disabled veterans to receive property tax relief by excluding certain federal benefits as income when calculating property tax exemption. More
• Senate Bill 248 (Mastriano) establishes the Veteran-Owned Business Loan Guarantee Program. More
• Senate Bill 411 (Pennycuick) streamlines and modernizes the way fishing licenses are issued for disabled veterans and military personnel. More
• Senate Bill 438 (Bartolotta) authorizes the creation of a special logo to promote veteran-owned businesses. More
• Senate Bill 531 (Baker) creates a grant evaluation committee for the Veterans’ Trust Fund to better identify underserved regions and increase awareness.
• Senate Bill 698 (Robinson) requires the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) to issue Military Hunting Event License Exemptions and Permits for Purple Heart recipients and disabled veterans for their rehabilitation and enjoyment. More
• Senate Bill 915(Langerholc) requires PennDOT to waive the replacement fee for military registration plates when they wear out. More
• Senate Bill 933 (Mastriano) enhances care by increasing oversight at Pennsylvania’s six state veterans homes. More
• Senate Bill 973 (Pennycuick) grants the same rights, benefits and privileges of U.S. military veterans to any Pennsylvania resident who is a naturalized U.S. citizen and who served in the Vietnam War with the Korean Armed Forces. More
• Senate Bill 1139 (Mastriano) helps families of deceased veterans access their federal burial benefits by requiring notification of county veterans assistance offices when veterans die. More
• Senate Bill 1192 (Gebhard) allows the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs to lease real estate at Fort Indiantown Gap and use the proceeds to fund the Service Member Veterans and Their Families Fund. More
• Senate Resolution 46 (Pennycuick) establishes the Task Force on Women Veterans’ Health Care. More
• Senate Resolution 196 (Coleman) directs the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing to study whether incarcerated veterans suffering from service-related, trauma-based conditions are receiving adequate treatment. More