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No pelvic exams without consent legislation headed to the governor

(Nov 17, 2023)

I am also pleased to share that state Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler’s and my H.B. 507, that would prohibit physicians and medical students from conducting pelvic, prostate or rectal exams on unconscious patients for training purposes in the absence of an emergency, passed the state Senate unanimously. Read more

 

Fiedler, Hanbidge pelvic exam bill headed to governor’s desk

(Nov 15, 2023)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 15 – The PA House today passed legislation (H.B. 507) that requires medical facilities in Pennsylvania to obtain consent before performing pelvic, prostate or rectal exams on anesthetized patients. The legislation, introduced by state Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Phila., and Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, now goes to Gov. Josh Shapiro for his signature. In Pennsylvania, medical students are currently permitted to perform these invasive exams on unconscious patients for training purposes. The legislators said this unethical practice undermines patient-doctor relationships, which require a foundation of trust, respect and transparency. “This year, we’ve seen millions of women and people across the country stand up for reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy,” said Fiedler. “It’s never been more important to empower patients to make decisions about their own bodies and lives. I am elated to see this bill pass, and I look forward to Governor Shapiro signing it into law.” “When patients arrive at the hospital for surgeries or treatments that require anesthesia, they are understandably worried or anxious about the outcome of their procedure, rarely thinking that an unrelated internal and intimate exam by a medical student might be part of the process,” Hanbidge said. “House Bill 507 puts the power back in the hands of the patient, giving them the final say in the care Read more

 

Combatting hate crimes in our commonwealth

(Nov 11, 2023)

No one should be the victim of racism, xenophobia, religious intolerance, gender inequality, discrimination or hate in our commonwealth. Last week, the House took affirmative steps to combat the impact of hate crimes in our commonwealth, passing three bills to stop hate crimes in Pennsylvania. Read more

 

Progress on my No Pelvic Exams Without Consent Bill

(Oct 27, 2023)

I am pleased to report that Rep. Liz Fiedler’s and my legislation (H.B. 507) was included in one of the first sets of House bills to be voted on by the Senate. Read more

 

Exploring hardships large animal veterinarians face

(Oct 20, 2023)

There is a crisis level shortage of large animal veterinarians in America. Read more

 

Progress made on completing the state budget

(Oct 13, 2023)

As I mentioned in my last email, voting and session last week was hectic and we passed a significant amount of legislation, including the code bills which allow for the funds appropriated through the general appropriations bill to be spent. Read more

 

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

(Oct 06, 2023)

Domestic violence doesn’t happen in a silo, it intersects with a lot of other issues we see in the House. Read more

 

Hanbidge, Cerrato bill to protect freedom of speech passes the House unanimously

(Oct 05, 2023)

“It’s unfortunately all too easy in Pennsylvania to initiate a meritless lawsuit solely with the intention of shutting down debates on public issues,” Hanbidge said. Read more

 

Working together to stop suicide

(Sep 29, 2023)

As September comes to an end, I wanted to discuss suicide prevention. Read more

 

PA creates better access to the ballot

(Sep 22, 2023)

This week, we recognized National Voter Registration Day! While America has seen huge recent increases in voter turnout, we still lag behind other developed nations in voter participation. The Census Bureau estimates that in 2020, 168.3 million people were registered to vote, which is only 72.7% of voting age citizens. Read more

 

How invasive species affect our health, environment, economy

(Sep 15, 2023)

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service estimates that we spend more than $120 billion nationwide controlling invasive species each year. Read more

 

Work still to be done on the state budget

(Sep 08, 2023)

As promised, here’s an update on the budget process. As you know, the Senate came back early to allow the finalized budget to be sent to the Governor. Read more

 

The cost of climate change in Montgomery County

(Sep 01, 2023)

One of the benefits of summer recess is that it gives me more time to meet with people and groups about policy issues and things that are often further on the horizon than the immediacy of many budget-related issues. Read more

 

Electronics Recycling Event

(Aug 28, 2023)

Electronics recycling event hosted in partnership with Reps. Ben Sanchez and Melissa Cerrato. Read more

 

Updating the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

(Aug 25, 2023)

Earlier this month, Governor Shapiro signed into law Act 7 of 2023. Formerly known as H.B. 1100, Act 7 is an expansion of the Property Tax and Rent Rebate (PTRR) Program for seniors 65 and over and those who are 50 and older and have been widowed or who have a disability. Read more

 

Resources and materials from last weekend’s IEP Roundtable

(Aug 18, 2023)

This past weekend Representative Melissa Cerrato and I hosted an informational panel to help families navigating the world of special education. Read more

 

The need for cyber charter reform

(Aug 11, 2023)

One of the pieces of legislation we passed in the House before recessing was H.B. 1422, an amendment to the commonwealth’s cyber charter school law. Read more

 

Budget impasse ends

(Aug 04, 2023)

On Thursday, the Senate consented to do their job and returned to session for the few minutes it took to formally send the budget to the Governor, allowing the finalized budget from July 5th to go forward. Read more

 

Local updates from Rep. Hanbidge

(Jul 28, 2023)

Having completed my in-depth review of the budget, I want to discuss more local matters. Throughout the year, my office staff and I have had many conversations with the municipalities which comprise the 61st. We often send out information about grants, liaise regarding PennDOT issues, and share information about events we host. Read more

 

Comprehensive update on 2023-24 budget

(Jul 21, 2023)

We remain at an impasse on the implementation of this year’s budget until the Senate returns to session so that it may be formally sent to the Governor for his signature. As I mentioned last week, both the House and Senate have voted in favor of the budget, but a petty procedural blockade by the Senate means that the spending plan, as well as necessary code bills, are in limbo. Read more