Benham urges state Senate vote on legislation to reform PBM practices Read more
BRADDOCK, June 27 – New funding of $60,000 will lay the groundwork for improved pedestrian and bike paths in Swissvale and Wilkinsburg, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said the grants, which include $30,000 to each borough under the WalkWorks program, will help both communities develop Active Transportation Plans to increase physical activity. “Having access to a network of safe trails and bike paths that connect to local destinations is a great motivator for folks to get outside and reap the health benefits of walking and biking,” Salisbury said. “These grants will support planning for these improvements and allow both boroughs to gather the information and community input they need to move forward. “It’s going to be exciting seeing these improved pedestrian- and bike-friendly routes take shape.” Funding for the grants is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant program and from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation through the Environmental Stewardship Fund. More information is available here: https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/Health-Details.aspx?newsid=1884#:~:text=Harrisburg%2C%20PA%20%2D%20The%20Pennsylvania%20Department,improved%20pedestrian%2C%20bicycle%2C%20and%20transit . Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, has introduced a bill that would provide money to Pennsylvania individuals and families seeking to own their own home. Powell’s legislation ( H.B. 2454 ) would establish the Affordable Homeownership Program under the state Department of Community and Economic Development . The program would award grants to sponsoring organizations, who would then provide the funds to individuals or households with annual incomes between 60% and 120% of the area median income. Qualifying applicants would be able to use these funds for projects such as: Home purchasing assistance programs. Home repairs. Work force housing programs. Acquiring residential properties. Designing and constructing properties. Asset management studies of properties. Social and environmental studies of properties. Homeownership education programs. Land trusts acquiring properties (Homeowners would need to maintain at least 40% of the equity on the property). “The median home price shot through the roof to nearly $225,000 in March of this year and continues to climb. This, combined with other factors, has pushed owning a home away from reality and closer to fantasy for many Pennsylvanians,” Powell said. “Home ownership is not only part of the American dream, it’s crucial to building and fostering strong communities. My bill would benefit PA and all neighbors who call it home.” Grant Read more
“Today’s vote marks a significant step in removing barriers to speech therapy for families who might not seek treatment for their child because their insurance may not cover it,” Markosek said. “Starting speech therapy at a young age was a game-changer for me, and it helped me build confidence in not letting my stutter define me. By ensuring that speech therapy is covered by insurance, we are giving children who stutter the support they need and the opportunity to thrive.” Read more
Being accepted into a union apprenticeship program offers many benefits, such as job security, access to educational and training programs, and collective bargaining power. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 26 – Majority House Health Committee Chair Dan Frankel hailed his panel’s approval Wednesday of bipartisan legislation aimed at reducing health care disparities in rural areas by providing grants for the payment of education debt of physicians, nurses and midwives. “When rural facilities cannot attract or retain health care professionals, they can’t keep their doors open, and patients have to travel increasing distances to get basic preventative or emergency care – that’s bad for outcomes, and it’s bad for this commonwealth,” said Frankel, who worked with Republican Health Chair Kathy Rapp to develop the bill ( H.B. 2382 ). “The foundation of our health care system is its workers, so that’s where any effort to support rural health institutions must begin.” The bill received unanimous approval by the committee. The panel also approved legislation introduced by Reps. Lisa Borowski and Paul Takac that would provide more oversight of mergers and other transactions that could threaten access to health services in the commonwealth. The bill ( H.B. 2344 ) would require health systems to file notice and documentation to the Office of the Attorney General before completing critical transactions and provide the Attorney General’s office with the tools needed to do their job of protecting the interests of health care consumers. “Health systems tend Read more
Labor leaders, members pack Capitol ahead of state budget Read more
Legislation to help victims of landslides eligible for full vote in PA House Read more
“H.B. 350 is a much needed, commonsense reform that will update our parentage laws by providing uniform clarity, while recognizing what thousands of PA families already know -- that families come in every size and shape imaginable, and our laws must provide security for them all,” said Miller. Read more
PITTSBURGH, June 20 – State Reps. Lindsay Powell and Nick Pisciottano, both D-Allegheny, joined Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato to support legislation aimed at growing green energy jobs across Pennsylvania at the City County Building today. House Bill 2315 , sponsored by Powell and Pisciottano, would establish the Promotion of Renewable Opportunities, Supporting People, Employment and Resilience – or PROSPER -- Act and incentivize the creation of sustainable energy jobs statewide, with a focus on regions grappling with high unemployment rates within the natural resources and mining sectors. Powell pointed out that PA is among the top producers of natural gas energy in the country, and the PROSPER Act would serve as a logical bridge to cleaner energy output. “Clean air and water are human rights, and communities throughout the Commonwealth should be able to thrive without having to worry about developing respiratory illnesses due to poor air quality or having their water contaminated,” she said. “The PROSPER Act is an investment in our future and the long-term health of our communities.” Recent research has found that fossil fuel extraction workers possess skillsets compatible with work in clean energy, and Pisciottano communicated the need to assist them. “The PROSPER Act is centered around supporting workers whose livelihood has depended on the fossil fuel industry,” he said. “We refuse Read more
Newly listed grant opportunities Read more
BRADDOCK, June 19 – New grant funding of $1.35 million will ensure more residents in the 34 th Legislative District have access to affordable housing and the critical benefits that go along with it, state Rep. Abigail Salisbury announced today. Salisbury, D-Allegheny, said some of the grants from the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency will fund construction or renovation of affordable housing units, while other funding will expand dispute resolution services and first-time homebuyer tools for residents across the region. “A place to call home means a place to be safe,” Salisbury said. “It means a place to provide security and shelter for loved ones, to have access to a network of neighbors and a community where services are available. It means the ability to go out and find meaningful work and a stable environment to return to. Everyone deserves these basic resources that flow from having a place to live. This funding is a huge step in that direction.” Salisbury said the funding includes: $300,000 to Zakiyah House for affordable housing units, with priority given to those who face housing discrimination because of a criminal record or substance use disorder mental health issues. $300,000 to Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services for expanding landlord-tenant dispute resolution services and stabilizing housing for residents. $250,000 to the Wilkinsburg Land Bank for a project to transform 43 Read more
Newly listed grant programs Read more
The Pennsylvania House on Wednesday passed a bill establishing a lifetime grant program for substance use recovery. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 12 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bill that would require the creation of materials to circulate information about the ongoing opioid public health crisis passed the Pennsylvania House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority today. The legislation, H.B. 1783 , would require the state Department of Health to consult with the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to create a poster, to be displayed in public and private settings, which provides information about opioid overdose. The information would include: Signs of an opioid-related overdose. What to do if an opioid-related overdose occurs. Locating an agent to reverse opioid effects. Additional resources. “I’ve treated many patients in the throes of an opioid overdose as an emergency physician, and proactive measures to help stem the tide of this crisis are imperative,” Venkat, D-Allegheny, said. “I’m grateful to bipartisan House colleagues, especially Representative Jim Struzzi (R-Indiana), not only for their affirmative votes, but for their commitment to saving as many lives as possible with this legislation.” The legislation additionally would authorize the creation of a Lifetime Recovery from Substance Use Grant Program to assist in the development, expansion or improvement of recovery support services delivery in Pennsylvania. Spearheaded by state Reps. Jim Gregory, R-Blair/Huntingdon, and Read more
Legislation to reel in pharmacy benefit managers advances Read more
HARRISBURG, June 12 – State Rep. Arvind Venkat’s bills that would put a flexibility component in place for physician assistants and the supervising physicians they work with were voted out of the House Professional Licensure Committee unanimously today. The legislation ( H.Bs. 2294 and 2295 ) would amend the physician licensure acts in Pennsylvania and allow physician assistants to work with either classification of physician, a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. Current law on the books mandates that physician assistants and supervising physicians must be licensed by the same state medicine board as the supervising physician. “These bills are commonsense measures that connect more doctors and physician assistants with the patients in need of their skills and expertise,” said Venkat, D-Allegheny. “As a physician-legislator, I’m committed to supporting my peers and helping to remove barriers to the highest quality of care.” The bills now head to the full House for consideration. Read more
“This bill would help a lot of small daily farms that are struggling to survive,” said Kinkead, D-Allegheny. Read more
“As someone who stutters, I still use the tools that I learned through speech therapy when I was a child, but many families aren’t aware that speech therapy is an option,” Markosek said. “This legislation would put speech therapy in reach for those children, which would help give them the confidence they need to use their voice inside the classroom and in their everyday lives.” Read more
HARRISBURG, June 11 – State Rep. Lindsay Powell, D-Allegheny, has introduced a bill that would help Pennsylvanians access the consultations and care they need, while keeping the price of this treatment low. Powell’s legislation ( H.B. 2385 ) would mandate that consultations between doctors, often done virtually, are covered under health insurances policies statewide. “The collective knowledge of more than one medical professional is often vital when our neighbors receive care. Interprofessional consultations are one tool physicians employ to effectively diagnose and treat patients,” Powell said. “This bill would help ensure that costs facing patients are reduced and would provide better peace of mind on the path to recovery. The burden of scheduling additional doctor appointments would also be removed and save patients considerable time and money.” The bill has been referred to the PA House Insurance Committee. A related bill Powell has introduced would prohibit employers in Pennsylvania from denying medical benefits to workers who are on strike. That legislation is co-sponsored by state Rep. Dan Miller, D-Allegheny. Read more
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