Senate advances Cephas bills out of committee

Philadelphia House Delegation    December 11, 2023 | 4:28 PM

HARRISBURG, Dec. 11 – Today, two bills introduced by Philadelphia House Delegation Chair, state Rep. Morgan Cephas, D-Phila., were approved by Senate committees and moved to the full Senate for consideration.

Both bills passed the House earlier this year.

These two bills include:

  • House Bill 900, known as the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee with unanimous support. The bill would create important protections for pregnancy and postpartum people who are incarcerated in Pennsylvania helping to restore dignity and codifying a number of current policies and practices that are already in place in the Department of Corrections and at the federal level.

Along with Cephas, State Reps. Tina Davis, D-Bucks, and Mike Jones, R-York, and a series of stakeholders including Ardella’s House, Dream.org and the American Conservative Union, championed the bill.

  • House Bill 1478, which would amend the Public School Code allowing school districts to utilize a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner to fulfill requirements of Section 1403 of the Public School Code relating to dental screenings and dental hygiene. This legislation would provide school districts more flexibility regarding fulfilling the requirements of Section 1403. This bill was approved by the Education Committee.

“The health and well-being of Pennsylvanians is of the utmost importance, and both of these bills can benefit the health and well-being of many across the commonwealth – helping to create dignity for those who are incarcerated and ensure access to critical care for students,” Cephas said. “I’m glad to see both bills move in the Senate and encourage all my colleagues in that chamber to vote in favor of them.”