Ciresi begins new term, will focus on property tax relief for seniors and the middle class
Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus January 10, 2025 | 10:21 AM
HARRISBURG, Jan. 7 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi was sworn in to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives today, beginning a new term serving the 146th Legislative District, and was named as majority chair of the House Communications & Technology Committee.
“This session I am going to build on my work in the House to fully and fairly fund education, achieve property tax relief for seniors and the middle class, make higher education more affordable and continue to work to restore passenger train service to western Montgomery County,” said Ciresi, D-Montgomery. “I know there is a lot of work to be done to meet these goals in these challenging times. By working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I hope to see this new session as a productive one.
“I am proud that in my second term that three pieces of legislation I introduced were signed into law and I brought home $13.8 million in state grant money to the district. In this term, I aim to introduce, support and pass legislation that will build up our educational system, spur our local economies, reduce property taxes and improve our quality of life.”
Ciresi’s legislation that was enacted into law was:
- Act 64 of 2024 to simplify the process of claiming unclaimed property as an heir.
- Act 29 of 2024 to prohibit companies from charging early termination fees to a deceased person’s family or estate when canceling certain service contracts.
- Act 60 of 2024 included HB 105 to waive vehicle title and registration fees for veterans who were captured, injured, or received the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving.
Additionally, in 2023, the House passed Ciresi’s landmark comprehensive cyber charter reform legislation. Although the Senate refused to run the bill, the House passage was a significant step forward for one of Ciresi’s major legislative priorities.
Ciresi was also named as majority chair of the House Communications & Technology Committee, which will oversee legislative efforts to improve access to high-speed internet in all corners of the commonwealth; protect personal information and consider overall state information technology efficiencies and improvement.
“I am honored that Speaker McClinton and Majority Leader Bradford chose me to lead this important committee whose work impacts millions of Pennsylvanians in wide-ranging ways,” Ciresi said. “I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to improve access to high-speed internet throughout the commonwealth as it is a key necessity for Pennsylvania’s economic growth and individual Pennsylvanians’ ability to live and work, as well as protect their most valuable information from scammers.”
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is currently in its 209th consecutive legislative session, which began on Jan. 1, 2025, and will run through Nov. 30, 2026. Pennsylvania's legislative sessions are numbered consecutively, beginning with the first session held in 1790.
The oath of office was administered by Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd, and the invocation was given by Bishop Maureen L. Davis, who is pastor of the Open Door Mission True Light Church, located in Philadelphia.