Summer 2024 Read more
I’m proud to announce that I introduced a bill to update and expand Pennsylvania’s Beginning Farmer Tax Credit Program to attract and keep new farmers. Read more
High-level University of the Arts administrators tried to halt the university’s abrupt June closure, but were stonewalled and frozen out, one said Monday at a state hearing on the sudden shutdown. Read more
“All farming is worth incentivizing, but especially on local family farms, where Pennsylvania traditions and innovations are both passed on,” Friel said. Read more
This week in Harrisburg, I had a chance to testify about a bill I sponsored that seeks to help small businesses start and grow here in the Commonwealth, promoting a climate of investment. Read more
HARRISBURG, June 7 – State Rep. Paul Friel this week introduced a bill ( H.B. 2393 ) that seeks to change the way that Pennsylvania handles food processing residue – addressing the hazards this waste can cause for rural and agricultural communities by updating the process and putting appropriate guardrails in place. Food processing residue, also known as FPR, is the leftover product created by commercial food processing. Food processing residues can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps, and liquid-like cleaning wastewater that includes blood, fat, hair and feathers, and a variety of other vegetable and animal byproducts and chemicals used to process them. While FPR can be used to fertilize the soil, it can create numerous problems if care is not taken. For example, some areas of Pennsylvania have seen groundwater contamination. Many other areas find themselves dealing with consistent, noxious odors. Compounding the issue, surrounding states have heavily restricted or banned the use of FPR, making Pennsylvania a target for cheaply offloading the commercial waste. “This bill – a bipartisan legislative solution to the problem – is the result of working with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, the departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection, affected community members, farmers, conservation experts and industry stakeholders. The goal is to make sure that FPR is used responsibly, contributing Read more
HARRISBURG, June 5 – State Rep. Paul Friel this week voted in committee to advance legislation (H.B. 2370) that would bring adequacy, equity and stability to Pennsylvania’s education funding system. The bill is now ready for a full vote in the House, ahead of budget negotiations. Friel, who is secretary of the PA House Education Committee, said the legislation represents the foundation of the recommendations made by the legislature’s Basic Education Funding Commission earlier this year. “This week, the House Education Committee voted on a bill that would commit the legislature to phasing in adequate and equitable public education funding over seven years,” said Friel, D-Chester. “The bill also contains cyber-charter reforms, which are essential for ensuring the transparency, responsibility and accountability we should expect for taxpayer-funded education. “This bill is a blueprint for providing all students in Pennsylvania with the educational resources they need, deserve and have a constitutional right to. The court ruled that we needed to close the gap for our students, particularly students in low-wealth school districts. This bill is a solid plan to do that. “Providing an equitable and robust education for each and every student in the commonwealth isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do – socially and economically.” The legislation Read more
“Equipping police officers with high-quality effective tools means better protection for both officers and the people they serve,” Friel said. “It’s about investing in our local police force and putting officers in the best possible position to serve our communities and uphold justice.” Read more
NEWLY LISTED PROGRAMS Department of Conservation and Natural Resources: Wild Resource Conservation Program Who May Apply: Counties, municipalities, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, conservation districts, and municipal authorities. Individuals, state government agencies, and for-profit businesses may be eligible depending on the project. Use: Grant applications will be accepted for species surveys, conservation, and management. Funds: Funding comes through the Wil Resource Conservation Fund and a portion of the Environmental Stewardship Fund. Grant size varies, but the average grant award is $30,000. Application Deadline: July 1, 2024 More information: DCNR website Department of Community and Economic Development: Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) The NAP is broken down into five components: The Neighborhood Assistance Program Tax Credit, the Special Program Priorities, the Neighborhood Partnership Program, the Charitable Food Program, and the Enterprise Zone Program Tax Credit. Please visit the link below for specific information on each component. Who May Apply: Depending on the program, eligible applicants include neighborhood organizations that hold a ruling from the IRS as nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organizations, and organizations operating as food banks, food pantries, or emergency food providers. Use: Use varies by program, but priorities for this funding Read more
POTTSTOWN, May 16 – State Rep. Paul Friel presented a grant of $146,125 to the North Coventry Township Police Department on Wednesday. The funding comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development and will be used to replace an aging police vehicle and purchase updated equipment, including stationary license plate recognition cameras to aid in criminal investigations and motor violations. “Equipping police officers with high-quality effective tools means better protection for both officers and the people they serve,” Friel said. “It’s about investing in our local police force and putting officers in the best possible position to serve our communities and uphold justice.” Funding also will be used to replace officers’ tasers, which are at end of their recommended lifespan for safe usage. The department says implementing the use of tasers has allowed officers to better deescalate incidents and potentially prevent the need for greater physical force. “We would like to thank Representative Paul Friel and his office for their support that they gave toward this grant,” said North Coventry Police Department Chief Matthew Deichert. “The department will use these funds to purchase equipment that will help officers with their daily assignments and investigations with the focus on keeping our community a safe place to live and work.” Read more
State Rep. Paul Friel has authored an open letter, co-signed by 23 additional regional members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, urging AmeriHealth Caritas PA, Keystone First, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to collectively find a solution that keeps CHOP in-network for coverage under the insurers’ Medicaid plans. Read more
“Investments in school security upgrades are an important component of protecting our students and teachers in the face of modern security challenges,” Friel said. Read more
We are both first-term state representatives — Paul Friel, a Democrat serving Chester County, and Kristin Marcell, a Republican representing Bucks County. Despite being “across the aisle” from each other, we discovered early on that we share many goals. One of those goals is to cut through partisan roadblocks that get in the way of progress on meaningful legislation. Too often lawmakers get caught up in the “team sports” of politics, and when we need to score wins for “our side,” we lose focus on the job we were elected to do: improve the quality of life and opportunities for Pennsylvanians. We, however, are committed to staying in conversation with our colleagues from across the state – Democratic and Republican alike – and our goal is simple: identify areas of common ground where we can work together on solutions and make real improvements for the people we serve. Another mutual commitment we share is to enhance access to quality education. Having both served on a school board prior to our state house elections, we place high value on quality K-12 education and affordable college, career, and technical education. The affordability of higher education is a pressing issue statewide. For many, loan repayments are higher than monthly grocery bills, with the average college graduate under 40 paying more than $400 monthly toward student debt. In Pennsylvania, graduates face the third highest student loan Read more
Under the bill, an incentive would created that would remove barriers to educational accessibility and affordability. Employers would have the ability to contribute to employees’ 529 college savings accounts. Read more
House Bill 1745 would amend the state tax code to add the 529 Tuition Account Program (TAP) Tax Credit, allowing for employer contributions to PA 529 College and Career Savings Program accounts. Friel and Marcell said their proposal aims to incentivize Pennsylvania employers to help employees save for future education expenses. Read more
The PA 529 plan, a cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s efforts to facilitate higher education savings, enables families to save for college and career expenses in a tax-advantaged way. The introduction of the 529 Tuition Account Program (TAP) Tax Credit aims to expand this opportunity by leveraging employer support, thereby easing the financial burden on families striving to afford post-secondary education for their children. Read more
To offset the burden of student debt, employers in Pennsylvania could get a tax credit if they make contributions to their employees’ tuition savings account, under Rep. Friel's bill with Rep. Marcell that passed the House on Wednesday. Read more
State Rep. Paul Friel, D-Chester, announced today that his bipartisan legislation crafted with Rep. Kristin Marcell, R-Bucks, to encourage Pennsylvania employers to contribute to employees’ PA 529 tuition savings accounts has passed the House of Representatives unanimously. Read more
State Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester) said Jones provides a great counterargument to Republicans who claim those making near the minimum wage are just teenagers working a side job after high school. Friel said there’s also an economic argument. Read more
“We are happy to support our local fire and EMS providers and excited to see the grants and funding recently announced throughout the 26th district,” Friel said in a statement issued by his office. “Our first responders cannot rely solely on local donations and fundraising, it is critical that we build permanent funding supports for fire EMS into our state budget process to ensure the public safety.” Read more
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