Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila. is intricately involved in the response. "I'm on site with city, state and federal officials. We're assessing the situation and working with PEMA and the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management," Neilson said. "We will provide critical updates as soon as we have more details, but for now please stay away from the area." Read more
Today, State Rep. Ed Neilson, chair of the PA House Transportation Committee, joined Gov. Josh Shapiro as he signed S.B. 37, or “Paul Miller’s Law.” The bill, named after a Pennsylvania man who was tragically struck and killed by a distracted driver, would allow law enforcement to issue a ticket when a driver uses their cell phone while driving. “Today is a step toward mitigating a major safety issue when driving,” Neilson said. “Distracted driving has replaced driving while intoxicated as the most significant cause of accidents in Pennsylvania; I’m proud to work with my colleagues and thankful to Governor Shapiro for ensuring the safety of everyone who travels on Pennsylvania roads.” I n 2023, there were more than 11,262 distracted-driving crashes in 2023, compared to 8,330 alcohol-related crashes, according to PennDOT. Read more
“Right now, it can take months for PennDOT to process junk titles, which leaves tow truck operators responsible for the non-working vehicle,” Neilson said. “Ensuring the reasonable processing and delivery of junk titles will greatly assist tow truck operators who don’t have the space or resources to store vehicles for an extended period of time.” Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: 2024 County Jail-Based Vivitrol Program Who May Apply: Funding is available to all counties with a county jail seeking to establish or expand a jail-based substance use treatment program. Use: Implementation or expansion of a county jail-based Vivitrol program. Funds: A total of $7.175 million in Act 80 funds is available. Application Deadline: July 17, 2024 More information: PCCD Website Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Attorney & Judge Training – Children with Disabilities Who May Apply: Local governments, local and national nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education which demonstrate, in their application, an ability to collaborate with state and local partners to develop and deliver statewide training for attorneys and a commitment to the improvement of child abuse investigations in the Commonwealth. Use: Costs associated with the development and delivery of a trauma-focused, child-focused, training curriculum for attorneys and judges who participate in hearings involving child abuse victims in Pennsylvania who have verbal, cognitive, and/or physical disabilities. Funds: A total of $128,990 in federal Children’s Justice Act funds is available to support this initiative. PCCD expects to fund one grant with a budget not to exceed $128,990. Application Read more
Pa. state Rep. Ed Neilson, majority chair of the PA House Transportation Committee, tells KDKA Radio that lawmakers want to protect drivers and save lives. Banning the use of hand-held devices while driving will go a long way toward making the state's roadways safer. Read more
Pa. state Rep. Ed Neilson, majority chair of the House Transportation Committee, tells KDKA Radio about why it was so important to ban the use of hand-held devices while driving. Read more
State Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., chair of the PA House Transportation Committee, today announced that legislation (S.B. 37) that would prohibit the use of hand-held devices while operating a motor vehicle in Pennsylvania has passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is now on its way to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk for signature to become state law. “The data shows that distracted driving is the cause for more crashes than driving under the influence now,” Neilson said. “In the past, we confronted DUIs with harsher penalties because we recognized the danger it caused.” “I’m happy we did the work to get this bill passed and treated it with the same amount of alarm,” Neilson continued. Under the legislation, the penalty is a summary offense: a $50 fine and no points on the driver’s license. The bill also promotes education efforts by requiring minors to learn about distracted driving and have at least one question on the driver’s exam be about distracted driving, Neilson explained. “Today, Pennsylvania joins 26 states, including all of our border states, in recognizing the dangers that come with distracted driving by passing legislation that would include not only deterrents but an opportunity to get educated about the dangers of distracted driving in Pennsylvania,” Neilson said. Neilson added that the bill is also known as Paul Miller’s Read more
Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, said it is a high priority issue for the committee and he is working with his Senate colleagues to arrive at a consensus on how to deal with this evolving area of electric vehicles to place a bill on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk. Read more
Legislation that would ban handheld electronic devices while driving is advancing in the General Assembly. Read more
In Pennsylvania, texting while driving is considered an offense, resulting in a $50 fine. However, the state lacks a comprehensive law prohibiting the use of cell phones and other electronic devices for purposes other than texting. This gap in the legislation has made enforcement challenging, as law enforcement officers cannot easily discern if a driver is texting or engaging in other distracting activities. Read more
"We must take a stronger action against distracted driving," said House Transportation Committee Chairman Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, according to a PennLive.com report. "Drivers need to put down the phone and keep their eyes on the road." Read more
House Transportation Committee Chairperson Ed Neilson (D-Philadelphia) noted that Paul Miller Jr.’s parents Eileen and Paul Sr. have pushed for the expanded distracted driving law for 14 years. Eileen Miller was in the House gallery for the vote Tuesday, Neilson said.“Right before coming to the floor, she said something to me that I’d like to share with you and it’s about distracted driving. It does not discriminate. The loved one lost could be yours,” Neilson said. Read more
The bill has to go to the State Senate before it potentially heads to Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk. It’s not clear what the timeline is for the State Senate to review the bill. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Agriculture: Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program Who May Apply: Agricultural producers or processors and nonprofits, for-profits, local government entities, and institutions such as schools, universities or hospitals that operate middle of the food chain activities or invest in equipment that will benefit middle of the supply chain activities. Use: Activities that expand capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transporting, wholesaling or distribution of targeted local and regional agricultural products Funds: Grants will be awarded to the extent that funds are available. Grant requests shall be between $10,000 and $100,000. Application Deadline: May 15, 2024 More information: PDA Website Department of Health: WalkWorks Grant Program Who May Apply: Municipalities located in either a PA Department of Health State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) priority county or in communities with an overall percentile rating above 60 in the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s PennEnviroScreen Tool. The 10 current SPAN counties include Clearfield, Erie, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Northumberland, and Philadelphia. Use: Funds and structured pre-planning assistance will be available to a limited number of municipal and/or multi-municipal applicants to complete the steps necessary to prepare to apply in the future for funds Read more
The legislation, sponsored by the House Transportation Committee Chairman Ed Neilson, D-Philadelphia, would establish the annual fee starting at $125 next year and increasing by $25 a year through 2029 when it reaches $225. In 2030 and thereafter, the annual fee would be adjusted annually at the rate of inflation. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Transportation: Automated Red Light Enforcement Transportation Enhancements Grant Program (ARLE Program) Who May Apply: Local governments, planning organizations, or Commonwealth agencies. Use: Eligible uses include, but are not limited to, roadway safety, mobility, and capacity upgrades, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, local technical assistance program projects, and traffic signal improvements. Funds: PennDOT anticipates $32 million available with the intent of funding worthwhile projects that can be completed at a relatively low cost. Application Deadline: A pre-application scoping form is required to be submitted by April 30, 2024. Feedback will be provided by May 31, 2024. The application period will be open from June 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024. More information: PennDOT Website Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Intermediate Punishment Treatment Program Who May Apply: Counties Use: Funds for the proposed program must be used to support restrictive conditions that are imposed as part of a county probation sentence and may be used for needed drug and alcohol-related services, and mental health treatment and supportive services for eligible individuals Funds: Funding is contingent upon the availability of funds in the FY 2024-25 budget. Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 More information: PCCD Website Department of Community and Economic Development: Multimodal Transportation Fund (MTF) Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Intermediate Punishment Treatment Program Who May Apply: Counties Use: Funds for the proposed program must be used to support restrictive conditions that are imposed as part of a county probation sentence and may be used for needed drug and alcohol-related services, and mental health treatment and supportive services for eligible individuals Funds: Funding is contingent upon the availability of funds in the FY 2024-25 budget. Application Deadline: May 1, 2024 More information: PCCD Website PROGRAMS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Department of Agriculture: Farm Vitality Planning Grant Who May Apply: Farmers, prospective farmers, and others may apply. Use: Strategic business planning to expand or diversify farms or support transition of ownership. Funds: $500,000 in funding is available. Grants shall not exceed $7,500. Application Deadline: Applications will be received until funds are exhausted. More information: Pennsylvania Bulletin Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Recruitment Incentives for Law Enforcement Who May Apply: Local law enforcement agencies, campus or university police, railroad or street railway police, airport authority police, and county park police. Use: Funding is explicitly to support Act 120 training and recruitment activities for law enforcement officers that will take place between Oct. 19, 2023 and June 30, 2025. Funds: $14 million in Read more
State Rep. Ed Neilson, majority chair of the House Transportation Committee, said he was proud to vote ‘yes’ on vital legislation to increase funding for mass transit agencies for the first time in over a decade. The legislation would provide a significant increase in funding for public transit, as Gov. Josh Shapiro urged for in his recent address on the 2024-25 state budget. “Funding mass transit in Pennsylvania isn't just about moving people, it's about moving our economy forward, bringing people together no matter where they start and providing a safe way to travel to work, school or leisure,” Neilson said. “Pennsylvania transit systems provided over 230 million trips in 2023,” Neilson added. “This increase in funding would guarantee that people throughout the commonwealth will have a safe and efficient way to travel in our great state.” Neilson said that increasing this funding would also provide many Pennsylvanians with new and competitive employment opportunities. The bill would increase the amount of sales tax revenue that is transferred to the Public Transportation Trust Fund from 4.4% to 6.15%, a generous increase of 1.75%. The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence. Read more
Legislation authored by state Rep. Ed Neilson, D-Phila., to enhance consumer privacy and limit the collection of consumer data was voted out of the House today. House Bill 1201 would inform consumers of their rights when it comes to personal data and require certain businesses to protect them by limiting the amount of data collected. “In an increasingly all-digital world, consumers deserve to know if their data is used for targeted advertising or if it’s sold to a third party,” Neilson said. “Every keystroke or mouse click is a way for companies to collect data, and most people don’t even realize this is happening.” “Consumers in Pennsylvania don’t want companies that they don’t even use or know about to have their personal data, especially if there isn’t an easy way to fix incorrect information in the data collected,” Neilson added. He said that Pennsylvania is behind other states who already have laws that protect consumers’ privacy, and this legislation would go a long way to make Pennsylvania a state where people can feel safe doing business online. Neilson said that the Attorney General would have exclusive authority to prosecute violations under the legislation should HB 1201 be signed into law. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration. Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Drop-In Centers Who May Apply: Existing organizations that have the capacity to provide or expand drop-in center services for individuals with SUD, including single county authorities, DDAP licensed treatment providers, organizations that offer clinical services and recipients of DDAP’s prior funding opportunities for Drop-In Centers. Use: To expand drop-in center services for individuals with SUD. Funds: Up to $6,575,000 is available. DDAP expects to award approximately eight grants totaling $750,000 each. Application Deadline: April 12, 2024 More information: DDAP Website PROGRAMS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS: Department of Agriculture: Farm Vitality Planning Grant Who May Apply: Farmers, prospective farmers, and others may apply. Use: Strategic business planning to expand or diversify farms or support transition of ownership. Funds: $500,000 in funding is available. Grants shall not exceed $7,500. Application Deadline: Applications will be received until funds are exhausted. More information: Pennsylvania Bulletin Commission on Crime and Delinquency: Recruitment Incentives for Law Enforcement Who May Apply: Local law enforcement agencies, campus or university police, railroad or street railway police, airport authority police, and county park police. Use: Funding is explicitly to support Act 120 training and recruitment Read more
The House Transportation Committee, led by Majority Chair Ed Neilson, held a meeting today to vote on two pieces of legislation that he said are vital to Pennsylvania’s transportation sector. House Resolution 322, introduced by state Rep. Kyle Mullins, would encourage Congress to allow people aged 18-20 with a Commercial Driver’s License to participate in interstate commerce activities. “We are facing an increasing shortage of qualified truck drivers not only in Pennsylvania but across the county.” Neilson said. “In 2022, our state’s truckers moved 897 million tons of freight, valued at $1.1 trillion which speaks volumes about their value to our state’s economy.” Neilson said Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the country in freight moved. As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched the Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program to expand the pool of qualified CDL drivers. The committee also voted on H.B. 816, authored by state Rep. Jose Giral. It would require that tow truck operators in Philadelphia provide photographic evidence of violations to vehicle owners who wish to appeal the towing and storage fees to the Parking Hearing Examiner. “Philadelphia citizens already have a soured opinion about their ability to park anywhere in the city without the fear of financial burden caused by a towed vehicle,” Neilson said. “I hope this legislation will Read more
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