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Pennsylvania's 2025-26 House Session is Set and Ready to Begin

Dear Neighbor,

 

This past Tuesday was Swearing-In Day at the Capitol, marking the official start of the 2025-2026 Legislative Session. It was nice to be back in Harrisburg, seeing all of my colleagues with their friends and families on this celebratory day.

 

As we begin the 2025-2026 Legislative Session, I thank you for the trust you have placed in me. For six years I have had the distinct honor and privilege to be your voice in Harrisburg, and on Tuesday, with much gratitude and humility, I took the oath of office to represent the people of Chester County in the 155th Legislative District for a fourth term.

 

Click here to see how I started the 2025-2026 Legislative Session.

Swearing-In Day: Play-by-Play 

  • Swearing-In 
    This Swearing-In Day, we saw the entire state House and half the state Senate sworn in for the new term. (PA state senators serve four-year terms, so half of the Senate seats come up for election every two years.) Following the results of the 2024 Election, the makeup of the House stands at 102-101, in favor of Democrats, and the Senate stands at 28-22 in favor of Republicans. (A special election will be held in March to fill the Senate seat vacated by Senator Aument.)
     
    Sadly, House Democrats were without one of our own on Tuesday, with Rep. Matthew Gergely (D-35) having a medical emergency over the holidays requiring hospitalization. My colleagues, my staff, and I are keeping Rep. Gergely and his family in our thoughts during this difficult time and wish him a speedy recovery. 
     
  • Speaker of the House Vote 
    With the absence of a House Democratic member, the House is currently not at full complement, sitting at 101-101. Similar to the start of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session, we found ourselves in another situation where the makeup of the House is temporarily tied, setting up potentially contentious votes for Speaker and House Rules.  
     
    Thankfully, in the spirit of bipartisanship and to spare Pennsylvania taxpayers any delays in the start of the legislative year, House Democrats and Republicans were able to coalesce and elect Rep. Joanna McClinton to another term as Speaker of the House
     
  • Pass House Rules for the 2025-2026 Legislative Session 
    Shortly after the oaths were administered and a Speaker was elected, we immediately got to work on our first order of business: passing House Rules for the session, which set the guidelines for lawmakers to follow while considering and passing legislation. These rules govern the size and partisan makeup of committees, the step-by-step process to pass a bill, decorum on the House floor, and other important practices.  
     
    The most notable change to the House Rules is the addition of three new committees: Energy; Communications & Technology; and Intergovernmental Affairs. In previous sessions, energy bills were typically taken up by the Environmental Resources & Energy Committee. Moving forward, Energy will be a standalone committee, separate from the newly named Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee. This could potentially assist with spreading out the workload among committees and reducing legislative log jams on critical topics. 
     
    In addition to the creation of new committees, other new rules included removing the definition of “majority” and decreasing the threshold for introducing discharge resolutions. 
     
    While I do not agree with all the revisions that were made to the House Rules, I understand that concessions must be made to appease certain political coalitions as well as begin the new session with a bipartisan agreement. 

 

 

Committee Assignments 


While floor debates and roll call votes are the most visible activities of the House of Representatives, most of our work happens within the committees, which are tasked with holding hearings on legislation, considering amendments to bills, and determining whether a bill will advance for a floor vote in the House. 
 
In the 2023-2024 session, I served on the Environmental Resources & Energy; Government Oversight; Health; Human Services; and Liquor Control committees. 
 
For the 2025-2026 session, I will return as a member of the Government Oversight; Health; and Human Services committees and join the Education Committee and the newly formed Environmental & Natural Resource Protection Committee.

What’s Next?

 

In the six years that I have been a member of the House, we have worked hard to make Pennsylvania a place where people from all walks of life have equal opportunity to thrive and succeed. In the past several sessions, I have voted in support of budgets that make investments in the future of our Commonwealth while also setting aside historic deposits to the state’s Rainy-Day Fund.  

 

Recently, we received the good news that Moody’s increased the Commonwealth’s credit rating from Aa3 to Aa2 for the first time since 2013. Given our strong position as we head into this year’s budget season, we have an obligation to continue our investments in programs and services that help Pennsylvanians.  

 

As we begin the new session, I am committed to addressing gaps and shortfalls in human services, working to create a better path to home ownership for first-time homebuyers, working toward solutions for the affordable housing crisis, and continuing the work toward fixing our system of school funding.   

 

PA Farm Show 

 

“Baby goats & butter sculptures & milkshakes, oh my!”

 

The PA Farm Show kicked off last Saturday, so that means the Otten family packed into the car and made our annual trip to the Farm Show Complex to soak it all in. 

 

Think the Farm Show isn’t for you? Think again! The PA Farm Show has something for everyone: incredible food, beautiful Pennsylvania-grown plants, seeds for nearly every plant imaginable, informative agriculture exhibits, farm animal petting areas, competitive events, and of course the infamous butter sculpture. 

 

There is only one day left to see it all for yourself. This year’s PA Farm Show runs until Saturday, January 11. Get there before it ends, or mark your 2026 calendar and plan your visit for next year! 

 

Learn more here

 

If you have questions or would like to provide feedback on any legislative or state-related issue, please contact our district office at repotten@pahouse.net

 

Follow me on social media:

 

As the 2025-2026 Legislative Session gets underway, my team and I want to make sure you don’t miss important updates from Harrisburg and home.

 

Whichever social media platforms you use, be sure to follow my official accounts to keep up with all the latest news:

  • Bluesky  (New in 2025; @repdanielle.bsky.social) 
  • Threads  (New in 2025; @rep_otten)   
  • TikTok  (@repdanielle_pahouse) 
 

LIHEAP Applications are Available! 

 

The application process for the annual Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is open! 

 

LIHEAP provides help with home heating bills so that Pennsylvanians can stay warm and safe during the winter months. Assistance is available for both renters and homeowners. 

 

For eligibility requirements and information on how to apply visit:?dhs.pa.gov/LIHEAP

 

Pennie Open Enrollment Period 

 

The Pennie Open Enrollment Period (OEP) will run until January 15, 2025. During this period, individuals and families can enroll in health insurance plans, make changes to existing coverage, or renew their current plans. 

 

Even if you are happy with your current health coverage, the plans and prices offered through Pennie change every year. Many Pennie customers qualify for additional savings, helping Pennsylvanians navigate the challenges of rising healthcare costs.  

 

Visit Pennie.com to compare plans and find high-quality, low-cost health coverage that fits your needs and budget. If you recently lost coverage through Medicaid, Pennie may have options to help you stay covered with a quality health plan at low or even no cost to you. 

 

All plans offered through Pennie cover preventative care, mental health services, and more. Learn more at pennie.com or call the Pennie Customer Line at 1-844-8040 for assistance. 

 

SEPTA Senior Key Cards and Card Renewals


If you have a SEPTA Senior Key Card that has expired or will expire within the next month, we can renew it in our district office. To renew your card before it expires, please stop by my district office, or call us to make an appointment.  

 

My office can also process applications and take photos for new SEPTA Senior Key ID Cards, which allow seniors 65 and older to travel for free on all SEPTA Regional Rail and transit routes within Pennsylvania. Just stop by my district office and bring a form of ID with your date of birth on it, such as a PA driver’s license or non-driver ID, U.S. passport, or birth certificate. We’ll enter your information into SEPTA’s online system, take a quick photo, and then SEPTA will mail your new card to you directly.  

 

2-1-1 Southeastern Pennsylvania: Health and Human Services 


211 SEPA is part of the national 211 Call Centers initiative that seeks to provide health and human services for everyday needs and those in crisis situations. 

 

2-1-1 works with county governments and provider agencies to ensure important local program information is easily accessible. 

 

Visit 211sepa.org for more information. 

 

Mental Health Resources: Call 9-8-8 

 

Chester County residents experiencing mental-health-related crisis or distress can dial 9-8-8 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.?This system is designed to be a memorable and quick number that connects people in crisis to a trained mental health professional.

 

Chester County offers additional resources for those in crisis, including Chester County’s warm line, 1-866-846-2722, operated by Certified Peer Specialists, who are individuals in recovery with a lived experience of mental health challenges.

 

Chester County’s Teen Talk Line ensures seamless referral to Mobile Crisis for youth in need of immediate or higher-level support. The call line is 855-852-TEEN (8336), and the text line is 484-362-9515.

 

Visit the?Department of Human Services website for more information about the 988 system and other state and local mental health resources.

 

If you or someone you love is in crisis, please don’t give up hope, and please know that you do not need to walk this path alone. We are here and we will do whatever we can to help. 

 

My staff and I are here to help make state government work better for you! For assistance with the above programs or any other state-related services, please email repotten@pahouse.net, call 484-200-8259, or visit my district office in Exton.

 

Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or contact us through my website and let us know how we can help!

 

Sincerely, 

PA Representative Danielle Otten's signature image

Danielle Friel Otten 
State Representative, 
155th Legislative District 

 

Pennsylvania State Capitol

34 East Wing
Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-5009

District Office

631 Pottstown Pike
Exton, PA 19341
(484) 200-8259