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In this Update:
Pennsylvania Sheriff’s Association Visit to the PA Capitol
I had the honor of introducing & recognizing special guests during PA Senate session on Tuesday – Pennsylvania Sheriffs Association and their team members from around the Commonwealth. The group visited the Capitol for the ‘2nd Annual Day on the Hill’ to meet with legislators for discussions on community safety initiatives and legislative priorities. I appreciated three Sheriff’s from the 41st Senatorial District stopping by my office to meet:
My thanks to all our Sheriff offices for the work they do in helping to protect our communities! Meeting with The Arc of Indiana County
It was a pleasure to meet with Michelle Jordan, Executive Director of The Arc of Indiana County this week. Michelle was in Harrisburg for the Arc of Pennsylvania’s Advocacy and Policy Day at the Capitol to advocate for the intellectual disability community. The Arc of Indiana County has been dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families for 52 years. Advocacy is important, and I appreciated the opportunity to discuss pressing issues. Thank you for taking the time to visit! Recognizing Super Bowl LIX Champions
I’ll always be a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, but it was an exciting day at the State Capitol as we recognized the Super Bowl LIX Champions – the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles! We have our cross-state rivalries, and I pointed out there are eight Super Bowls in this commonwealth. Six of them are housed in the City of Pittsburgh, and it is good that two of them are housed in Philadelphia. Here’s the video of my Senate Floor remarks. At a time when politics often divisive, it was good to have a little bi-partisan fun, as we are all Pennsylvania proud! Senate Votes for the Save Women’s Sports Act
With a bipartisan vote, the Senate passed legislation to protect athletic opportunity, competitive fairness and safety for female athletes across Pennsylvania. The Save Women’s Sports Act would ensure athletic teams designated for girls and women are reserved for biological females in K-12 and collegiate sports across the commonwealth. Senate Bill 9 would reinforce the original intent of Title IX by ensuring female athletes are not denied scholarships, placements or opportunities due to unfair competition from biological males. It is now headed to the House of Representatives for consideration. Family Medicine Advocacy Day
Ensuring access to quality and reliable health care is an important part of helping strengthen our communities throughout Pennsylvania. It was great to meet with residents from Indiana Regional Medical Center (IRMC) who were in Harrisburg for the second annual Family Medicine Advocacy Day on Tuesday. The group advocated for legislative policies and bills that could help improve patient care. Thank you to Amanda Vaglia, DO, for organizing the visit! Armstrong Junior-Senior High School Quiz Bowl
It is always a pleasure to welcome visitors to our beautiful PA Capitol! The Armstrong Junior-Senior High School Quiz Bowl Team took a tour, visited with my staff and had their photo taken on the Rotunda stairs. Thank you all for making the trip to Harrisburg and learning more about the history of the Commonwealth’s Capitol building. PASS Scholarships to Help Students in Failing Schools Receive Senate Support
To expand education access and reform outcomes in Pennsylvania’s most challenged schools, the Senate Education Committee this week advanced bipartisan scholarship legislation. The bill, also known as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) scholarship program, now heads to the full Senate for consideration. Senate Bill 10 would establish scholarship accounts for eligible students, allowing them to pursue educational opportunities outside of their assigned public school. The program would be administered by the Pennsylvania State Treasury and funded through appropriations, grants, donations or other contributions from public and private sources. Eligible students must live within the attendance boundary of a school that ranks in the bottom 15% statewide based on academic performance and come from households earning less than 250% of the federal poverty level. Funds in a student’s PASS account could be used for tuition, school-related fees or special education services at a nonpublic school. Learn more about scholarship amounts, which vary from $2,500 to $15,000 based on the student’s grade level. Bill Strengthening PA’s Sexual Offender Registry Approved by Senate
The Senate unanimously approved legislation this week to better protect children in Pennsylvania against sexual predators. Senate Bill 255 would require a sports official, volunteer or employee of a nonprofit association who is convicted of sexual assault to register as a sexual offender under the Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). Under current law, a conviction for this offense does not require registration as a sex offender. Closing this loophole will strengthen SORNA and ensure potentially violent sex offenders can be properly monitored. The bill, which now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration, is part of a larger Senate Republican priority of making commonwealth communities safer. PA Treasury Continues Working to Return Money to the People
More than 40,000 Pennsylvanians may soon find a check in their mailbox for money they didn’t know they had, thanks to legislation passed by Senate Republicans. PA Money Match is a new law that allows Treasury to automatically return certain unclaimed property. The program includes properties valued at $500 or less that belong to a single owner. Those with eligible properties will receive a letter in the mail to confirm their address. About 45 days later, they’ll receive a check for their property. PA Treasurer Stacy Garrity is working to return more than $4.5 billion in unclaimed property, which includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, rebates and insurance payments. The average claim is worth more than $1,000. Because PA Money Match will not automatically return properties exceeding $500 or those that may have more than one owner, you are still encouraged to regularly use Treasury’s website to check if you have unclaimed property. Happy Mother’s Day!
Mothers are the backbone of our communities. Whether they sat in the stands cheering us on at our games, brought cupcakes to every PTA bake sale or roughed it in the woods with our scout troop, they put action to their love. On Mother’s Day, we recognize the special women who love and care for us at all stages of our lives. Their support sets us up to be happy, healthy members of society.
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