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Shapiro signs into law Ciresi legislation to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one

(Nov 25, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 25 – On Monday, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law state Rep. Joe Ciresi’s legislation that will make it easier and less expensive for Pennsylvanians to claim property that is rightfully theirs — and reduce the financial burden following the death of a loved. Ciresi’s H.B. 1176 , now Act 50 of 2025: Increases the amount of unclaimed property that heirs can claim from the Pennsylvania Treasury using a notarized relationship affidavit from $11,000 up to $20,000. Raises the amount a financial institution may release to a family member of a deceased individual from $10,000 to $20,000 if the family member presents a receipt verifying funeral expenses have been paid. Redirects the estates of decedents who die with no will and no heirs to an endowed community fund near the place of the decedent’s last residence. “While Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property vault containing more than $4 billion sits there waiting for people to claim what’s rightfully theirs, the process has been too challenging or too expensive for people’s heirs to claim it,” Ciresi, D-Montgomery, said. “That’s because the legislature hadn’t updated the $11,000 limit for simplified heir claims for more than 20 years--since 2002! I am thrilled that my legislation, now law, will help Pennsylvanians access the money that belongs to them with less cost, less paperwork and less delay.” The new law included Read more

 

Pa. House lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Trump’s threats of political violence

(Nov 21, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 21 — State Rep. Paul Friel announced today plans to introduce a resolution in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives condemning recent threats of political violence made by President Donald Trump against Democratic elected officials and reaffirming American service members’ long-standing duty to support and defend the U.S. Constitution. The resolution is in response to recent public statements from the President of the United States that have been widely interpreted as a threat of retaliation against those representatives for stating in a video that members of the U.S. Armed Forces can and should refuse unlawful directives. Friel and 29 other state representatives invited their colleagues to join them in supporting the resolution. The co-sponsorship memo states: "We are at a critical moment in American history. “When duly elected members of Congress publicly stated that, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the military must only follow lawful orders, the President of the United States declared they committed sedition and deserve death. This threat, and the rhetoric of political violence and retaliation, represents a betrayal of the American People and a threat to our constitutional democracy. “Upon taking office, we each swear an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America. We cannot honor the military service members who have given their last full measure of Read more

 

Pa. legislature clears Ciresi’s bill to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one

(Nov 19, 2025)

“While Pennsylvania’s unclaimed property vault containing more than $4 billion sits there waiting for people to claim what’s rightfully theirs, the process to do so is sometimes too challenging or too expensive for people’s heirs to claim it,” Ciresi said. “It’s because the legislature hasn’t updated the $11,000 limit for simplified heir claims for more than 20 years, since 2002. I am delighted my House and Senate colleagues understood the wisdom of this legislation and for Pennsylvania to keep up with the times." Read more

 

House Communications & Technology Committee holds public hearing on school panic alarms legislation

(Nov 17, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 17 – In a step to increase school safety for students and teachers, the PA House Communications & Technology Committee held a public hearing Monday on legislation ( H.B. 634 ) introduced by state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz, D-Berks, that would require schools to consider implementing silent panic alarm buttons in classrooms during the annual review of their safety and security practices. The alarms would be linked directly with law enforcement responders and could be used to signal a life-threatening emergency. The legislation is modeled after “Alyssa’s Law,” named for 14-year-old Alyssa Alhadeff, who was murdered along with 17 others in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland, Florida in 2018. In the wake of the shooting, Alyssa’s parents and fellow advocates have fought for the passage of laws to require or permit schools to install silent panic alarm buttons in classrooms. “At today’s hearing, Alyssa Alahadeff’s mother, Lori, movingly advocated for the implementation of silent panic alarms in our schools as a necessary step to prevent the unthinkable—the murder of a child in a school shooting,” said state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, who chairs the House Communications & Technology Committee. “At a time when it seems like there is a school shooting every day in our country, we must take concrete steps to make our schools as safe as possible. Read more

 

Friel votes to end Pa. budget impasse, delivering wins for schools

(Nov 12, 2025)

POTTSTOWN, Nov. 12 – After four months of stalemate in Harrisburg, state Rep. Paul Friel today announced that he voted for the newly passed 2025-26 Pennsylvania state budget, calling it a bipartisan and responsible compromise that delivers many results for Pennsylvania families. The budget was signed today by Gov. Josh Shapiro. “This budget isn’t perfect, but it moves Pennsylvania forward,” said Friel, D-Chester. “It puts students, working families and local communities first – while holding taxpayer-funded programs to a higher standard of accountability. I’m pleased to have voted for it. “We were able to increase basic education funding from the state by more than $100 million, special education by $40 million, and additional funds for facilities, mental health and school safety – without raising state taxes – helping take pressure off local property tax, saving local homeowners and renters money in their pockets. The budget also included this year's installment of $565 million for adequacy payments to underfunded schools, continuing to address the Commonwealth Court ruling, which required the commonwealth to address its education funding disparities.” Under this budget, the following school districts will all receive state funding increases above last year’s levels: Owen J. Roberts School District 3.7%. Phoenixville School District 2.9%. Spring-Ford Read more

 

Ciresi highlights historic investment in public education, cyber charter reform savings in PA budget

(Nov 12, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 12 – After his vote to approve the 2025-26 state budget today, state Rep. Joe Ciresi said he was proud to support the budget because without raising taxes or reducing the Rainy Day Fund, it makes historic investments in education with record savings in cyber charter school funding, thanks to legislation he championed, and critical funding in mental health services in schools. Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 budget increases total funding for K-12 education by more than $700 million. A longtime champion of cyber charter school funding reform, Ciresi said he was pleased to see that there would be $178 million in cyber charter savings statewide. School districts in the 146th Legislative District alone will save $1.18 million, reflecting savings from adjusting cyber tuition to better reflect the actual costs of teaching kids. Ciresi most recently proposed significant cyber charter funding reforms in his H.B. 1372. “This budget’s record investments in public education are an investment in Pennsylvania’s future, funding more than a billion new dollars in our schools which help relieve overburdened property taxpayers,” Ciresi said. “The $100 million for school safety and mental health services for our students will help schools provide critical services to kids so they don’t slip through the cracks and help foster safe and secure learning environments.” Locally, the budget increases funding for Montgomery Read more

 

Chester County lawmakers call for investigation into poll book errors on Election Day 2025

(Nov 05, 2025)

The Chester County Delegation sent a letter to the Pa. Department of State requesting an investigation into the poll book errors that took place Election Day 2025 in Chester County. Read more

 

House Communications & Technology Committee discusses AI transparency and digital content provenance

(Nov 03, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Nov. 3 – As AI deepfakes and fabricated content proliferate across media, the PA House Communications and Technology Committee, chaired by state Rep. Joe Ciresi, held a timely informational meeting last week on the importance of maintaining digital content provenance to combat misinformation, safeguard intellectual property, and preserve consumer trust. “As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly sophisticated, it’s getting harder for consumers of digital content to tell what’s real and what was generated or altered,” Ciresi, D-Montgomery, said. “Misinformation spread by AI threatens the social fabric, and we need to take necessary steps to protect the public from misleading, fabricated content.” Santiago Lyon, head of Advocacy and Education for the Content Authenticity Initiative, gave a presentation to the committee on how technology can be used to combat misinformation and what leaders in the industry are doing to allow for the labeling and identification of AI-generated or modified content. “At Adobe, we believe transparency is essential to trust in the age of AI,” said Lyon. “As AI becomes a more powerful creative tool, people deserve to know the origins of the content they see online and how it’s made. That’s why we’re proud to work with industry partners, policymakers and creators to advance open standards that protect creative rights, encourage greater Read more

 

Pennsylvania’s budget means life or death in homes across the state

(Nov 03, 2025)

Pennsylvania’s budget impasse is only the newest matter of life or death facing the thousands of people confronted with domestic violence across our commonwealth. The state budget, even during an impasse, helps fund what we typically associate with public safety – police and emergency services on the street – but the just-as-important groups that lose all their funding during an impasse are our rape crisis and domestic violence support centers across Pennsylvania. Administered in all 67 counties, Pennsylvania’s nonprofit coalitions that support abuse survivors with intervention, counseling, rehousing, legal services and medical advocacy save countless lives. They help victims become survivors and are vital to the administration of our good public health. In Pennsylvania, one person dies every three days in an act of domestic violence. Domestic violence homicides disproportionately affect women, with firearms being the most common method of killing. Knowing all this firsthand while watching lifesaving services be cut off during the impasse literally keeps Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence CEO Susan Higginbotham up at night. She told me so while pleading with legislators in their Harrisburg offices – in October – to end the 2025-26 state budget impasse so that PCADV and groups like it can continue providing crisis support for people in harm’s way. Domestic violence programs are struggling to borrow Read more

 

Pa. House Tourism Committee advances bill to fight human trafficking

(Oct 28, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 28 – The state House Tourism, Recreation and Economic Development Committee today advanced a bill to train Pennsylvania employees of hotels, motels, online lodging and reservation companies, and other establishments to identify and report signs of human trafficking. House Bill 1286, sponsored by state Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, would provide for mandatory human trafficking awareness training for Pennsylvania workers in the hospitality industry, including online lodging and reservation companies. “We’ve heard loud and clear for years now that one of the best ways to combat human trafficking is to increase training and awareness with the people who are most likely to notice it,” Young said. “I’m glad that for the first time we’re including online reservation sites for short- and long-term lodging in this legislation, as that has become an identified way of avoiding visual contact. I’m thankful for this committee taking the time to hold a public hearing about this in my district and that powerful testimony moving us to a positive vote today. Human trafficking is an evil across Pennsylvania that we can defeat by shining a light on the warning signs and indications of danger.” A hearing was held on the bill earlier this month in Essington. Testimony can be watched at https://youtube.com/live/MoNweqGt3eo . The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts in Read more

 

House Judiciary Committee advances Reproductive Rights Amendment

(Oct 22, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today approved a joint resolution sponsored by state Reps. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny, that would add a Reproductive Rights Amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution. The proposed legislation, introduced as H.B. 1957 , comes at a pivotal moment in the national conversation on reproductive rights. Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the authority to regulate reproductive health care has shifted to individual states, prompting a wave of legislative and voter-led efforts across the country. In response, voters in states such as Ohio, Michigan, Vermont and California have approved constitutional amendments or ballot initiatives to enshrine reproductive rights in their state constitutions. These actions reflect a growing recognition that state-level protections are now essential to safeguarding access to abortion and other reproductive health care. Pennsylvania’s proposed amendment seeks to join this national movement by ensuring reproductive freedom is permanently enshrined in the state constitution. The Otten, Hanbidge and Mayes bill proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania constitution that would reaffirm and protect every Pennsylvanian’s right to privacy and ensure that the state shall not deny or Read more

 

Pa. House Judiciary Committee advances key measures to protect health privacy, reproductive rights and public safety

(Oct 22, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 22 – The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee today held a public hearing on a proposed state constitutional amendment (H.B.1957), followed by a voting meeting to advance significant women’s health measures designed to protect medical privacy, strengthen reproductive freedom and safeguard health care providers and patients from out-of-state interference. The committee heard testimony from advocates, medical professionals and policy experts on H.B. 1957, which would enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, and the members voted on other women’s health legislation, including the following House bills sponsored by Women’s Health Caucus Co-Chair Mary Jo Daley and state Rep. Melissa Shusterman . H.B. 1640 – Would protect health care records related to reproductive services from disclosure in Pennsylvania civil and criminal actions or investigations, ensuring patient confidentiality. H.B. 1641 – Would instruct insurance companies to not take adverse action against health care providers that offer reproductive services to out-of-state residents. H.B. 1643 – Would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from enforcing judgments from other states in cases involving reproductive health care services, preserving Pennsylvania’s legal independence. H.B. 1966 – Would prohibit Pennsylvania courts from cooperating with out-of-state civil and criminal cases involving reproductive Read more

 

Ciresi introduces bill to prohibit trespassing using drones

(Oct 17, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 17 – A bill, H.B. 1926, prohibiting trespassing with a drone was introduced this week by state Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery. The bill would strengthen criminal trespass laws in Pennsylvania. “Although state law in Pennsylvania forbids someone from physically trespassing on another person’s property, it has not been adapted to include the use of drone technology,” Ciresi said. “My legislation would update state laws to prohibit trespass by drone, bringing Pennsylvania in line with other states such as Utah and Virginia , which already expressly prohibit it.” Ciresi was alerted to the issue by a constituent whose property had been repeatedly trespassed by a drone and found that the local police had difficulty filing charges because of limitations in existing state law. House Bill 1926 would prohibit the use of a drone if a person uses it to enter or remain over the property of another person with the intention of coercing, intimidating or causing annoyance, damaging property, or defying an order to leave or not enter the property as presented to the offender by the owner of the property, another authorized person or a law enforcement officer. “This bill would update state law to account for proliferation of the use of drones and hold bad actors accountable when they misuse this technology,” Ciresi said. Read more

 

Ciresi, Friel town hall with Pottstown NAACP highlights negative impact of federal budget cuts, delayed state budget on Pennsylvania

(Oct 16, 2025)

POTTSTOWN, Oct. 16 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Paul Friel, D-Chester, last night held a town hall with the NAACP’s Pottstown chapter. “Democracy was in action last night at the Pottstown town hall,” Ciresi said. “I was invigorated to see such passionate community engagement and thoughtful and respectful debate about how the federal and state budgets are having an impact on people’s lives.” Many of the audience questions concerned the impact that cuts and changes to SNAP and Medicaid would have on them and their communities. “Medicaid and SNAP have provided life-saving health care and put food on the tables of low-income Pennsylvanians for decades,” Ciresi said. “As a result of the federal budget cuts and changes to these programs, 5,914 people will lose Medicaid and 1,024 will lose SNAP in Chester County. Here in Montgomery County, 12,009 individuals will lose Medicaid and 2,336 will lose SNAP. In Pottstown alone, 1,662 people will lose Medicaid and 746 will lose SNAP. “These changes and cuts could not come at a worse time for our communities struggling with overburdened healthcare systems and rising food insecurity. Medicaid and SNAP have helped to stabilize our communities and support our economic growth. With more people in our communities living on the edge due to these cuts and changes, life will become unstable for us all. No one will be untouched by this devastation Read more

 

Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee advances key public safety and animal welfare bills

(Oct 15, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 15 – The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee, chaired by state Rep. Tim Briggs, D–Montgomery, today approved a series of bipartisan bills addressing animal welfare, criminal justice reform, law enforcement standards, and community safety. The committee also approved Briggs’ House Bill 1822, which protects the personal data of public servants and was announced in a separate release. Read more about that legislation here . “These bills represent thoughtful, sensible steps forward in protecting our most vulnerable — whether that’s pets, children, or public servants,” said Briggs. “Our committee continues to show that, when it comes to protecting Pennsylvanians and upholding justice, we can come together to do what’s right.” House Bill 608 (Sponsored by Rep. Mary Louise Isaacson): Would increase penalties for illegal ear cropping performed by non-licensed individuals, elevating the offense to a third-degree misdemeanor, and a second-degree misdemeanor for repeat offenses. House Bill 879 (Sponsored by Isaacson): Would allow the attorney general to prosecute felony animal cruelty cases when county district attorneys lack the experience or capacity to do so, ensuring consistent enforcement statewide. House Bill 1716 (Sponsored by Rep. Liz Hanbidge): Would prohibit the declawing of cats except for medically necessary, therapeutic purposes performed by Read more

 

Briggs bill to protect public officials clears committee

(Oct 15, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 15 – Legislation sponsored by state Rep. Tim Briggs, D-Montgomery, that would protect public officials and their families from targeted harassment and violence has advanced out of the House Judiciary Committee. House Bill 1822 would prohibit the online publication of personal identifying information—such as home addresses, personal phone numbers, and license plate numbers—of public servants when done with the intent to intimidate, harass, or incite violence. “This is a critical step toward protecting the people who serve our communities,” said Briggs, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee. “The rising tide of threats and violence against public officials can no longer be ignored. We must act now to ensure their safety—and that of their families.” Briggs introduced the legislation following the tragic murders of Minnesota Speaker Emeritus Melissa Hortman and her husband, as well as the shooting of Minnesota State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife—incidents that have underscored the growing risks facing public officials across the country. H.B. 1822 responds to alarming national trends. A recent report from the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism revealed a 327% increase in violent threats against judges on social media over the past year. Between March and mid-April 2025 alone, the U.S. Marshals Service reported 162 direct threats to federal judges. As of May, nearly Read more

 

House Communications & Technology Committee approves bills to increase consumer protections and strengthen state government’s digital defenses

(Oct 07, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 7– Legislation to increase consumer protections and strengthen the state government’s information technology defenses was approved by the PA House Communications and Technology Committee today and sent to the full House for further consideration, state Rep. Joe Ciresi, majority chair of the committee, announced. The bills would protect Pennsylvanians by prohibiting the use of “grinch bot” or “scalper bot” software that automatically purchases event tickets and resells them at a higher price, and by requiring all state IT contracts to meet the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s cybersecurity standards. “These bills will help inform, empower and protect Pennsylvanians from digital technologies used to rip off consumers and compromise residents’ personal data,” said Ciresi, D-Montgomery. Additionally, the committee approved a House resolution recognizing the historic role newspapers have played in Pennsylvania. The following measures were approved: House Resolution 322 (State Rep. Ben Waxman) would recognize the vital role of the newspaper industry as a pillar of democracy and designate Oct. 5–11, 2025, as National Newspaper Week in Pennsylvania. “I’m glad we are passing this resolution during National Newspaper Week, recognizing the historic role that newspapers have played in the flourishing of democracy in Pennsylvania from colonial times to the Read more

 

Ciresi, Friel to hold town hall with Pottstown NAACP on impact of federal budget cuts, delayed state budget Oct. 15

(Oct 06, 2025)

ROYERSFORD, Oct. 6 – State Reps. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and Paul Friel, D-Chester, will hold a town hall with the NAACP’s Pottstown chapter at 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the TriCounty Active Adult Center, 288 Moser Road, Pottstown. The representatives’ discussion will focus on the impact of the impact of federal budget cuts and the delayed passage of the state budget on Pennsylvania. Audience participation is strongly encouraged. Read more

 

House passes Friel bill to manage food processing residuals in Pennsylvania

(Oct 06, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 6 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed H.B. 587 to establish a certification program for the haulers and brokers of food processing residue in the commonwealth, announced the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester. Food processing residuals, also known as FPR, are the leftover product created by commercial food processing. Food processing residuals can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps, and liquid-like cleaning fluid that includes blood, fat, hair and feathers, and a variety of other vegetable and animal byproducts and chemicals used to process them. Along with H.B. 586, which would further guide the use of FPR, Friel’s legislation would help manage FPR responsibly in Pennsylvania. Surrounding states have heavily restricted or banned the use of these residuals, making Pennsylvania a target for cheaply offloading the commercial product. “These two bills offer a lasting legislative solution built through bipartisan cooperation and valuable input from the departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, as well as local residents, farmers, conservation experts, and industry leaders,” Friel said. “It’s essential that FPR be managed responsibly to protect our food supply, enhance soil health, safeguard groundwater, and reduce odors and other impacts on our communities.” The hauler broker certifications provided for in H.B. 587 would be in effect for Read more

 

Ciresi introduces legislation to extend deadlines to appeal Turnpike ‘V-Tolls’

(Oct 03, 2025)

HARRISBURG, Oct. 3 –State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, this week introduced House Bill 1916 that would allow drivers at least six months to appeal E-ZPass video tolls and flat video tolls, also known as “v-tolls.” A v-toll is a flat $10 charge made by the Pennsylvania Turnpike to the account of an E-ZPass customer when their E-ZPass transponder was not read by the sensor at a toll booth or gantry. This can occur for a variety of reasons, including if the transponder is improperly installed or malfunctioning, or if there is a technical issue with turnpike sensors. “I’ve introduced this legislation to make sure drivers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike have the opportunity to correct mistakes on their E-ZPass statements and only have to pay what they should owe,” Ciresi said. “The shift to a cashless turnpike and the end of paper tickets and toll booth exit messages makes it less clear if you’re being charged correctly and your transponder is working. Giving drivers more time to appeal overcharges is the fair thing to do.” The Pennsylvania Turnpike began implementing all-electronic tolling in 2016, ending physical cash tolls in 2020 and launching Open Road Tolling in 2025. Read more

 

Shapiro signs into law Ciresi legislation to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one
Nov 25, 2025

Pa. House lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Trump’s threats of political violence
Nov 21, 2025

Pa. legislature clears Ciresi’s bill to expand access to simplified unclaimed property claims, further help heirs following the death of a loved one
Nov 19, 2025

House Communications & Technology Committee holds public hearing on school panic alarms legislation
Nov 17, 2025

Friel votes to end Pa. budget impasse, delivering wins for schools
Nov 12, 2025

Ciresi highlights historic investment in public education, cyber charter reform savings in PA budget
Nov 12, 2025

Chester County lawmakers call for investigation into poll book errors on Election Day 2025
Nov 05, 2025

House Communications & Technology Committee discusses AI transparency and digital content provenance
Nov 03, 2025

Pennsylvania’s budget means life or death in homes across the state
Nov 03, 2025

Pa. House Tourism Committee advances bill to fight human trafficking
Oct 28, 2025

House Judiciary Committee advances Reproductive Rights Amendment
Oct 22, 2025

Pa. House Judiciary Committee advances key measures to protect health privacy, reproductive rights and public safety
Oct 22, 2025

Ciresi introduces bill to prohibit trespassing using drones
Oct 17, 2025

Ciresi, Friel town hall with Pottstown NAACP highlights negative impact of federal budget cuts, delayed state budget on Pennsylvania
Oct 16, 2025

Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee advances key public safety and animal welfare bills
Oct 15, 2025

Briggs bill to protect public officials clears committee
Oct 15, 2025

House Communications & Technology Committee approves bills to increase consumer protections and strengthen state government’s digital defenses
Oct 07, 2025

Ciresi, Friel to hold town hall with Pottstown NAACP on impact of federal budget cuts, delayed state budget Oct. 15
Oct 06, 2025

House passes Friel bill to manage food processing residuals in Pennsylvania
Oct 06, 2025

Ciresi introduces legislation to extend deadlines to appeal Turnpike ‘V-Tolls’
Oct 03, 2025