Affordability

TAX CUTS

School District Property Tax Relief

• $1B in property tax relief for homeowners, average of over $350 back into the pockets of homeowners

Senior Citizens Property Tax & Rent Rebate (PTRR) Program

• The recent expansion of this program delivered the largest targeted tax cut for seniors in nearly two decades — with more than 511,000 seniors and people with disabilities receiving rebates last year totaling over $314 million so far

Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit

• Over $200M in tax relief for Pennsylvanians under the Working Pennsylvanian Tax Credit.
• This will cut taxes for almost 1 million Pennsylvanians for the second year in a row.

Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit

• In 2023, the General Assembly passed legislation to begin to address child care affordability with a historic expansion of the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit, raising Pennsylvania’s match from 30 to 100 percent of the federal credit and increasing the maximum benefit from $630 to $2,100 per family

Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit

• In 2024, the General Assembly worked with the Governor to create the Employer Child Care Contribution Tax Credit, which allows employers who contribute to employees’ child care costs to claim a tax credit of up to 30 percent of eligible contributions, capped at $500 per employee

Corporate Net Income (CNI) Tax Reduction

• Reductions to Pennsylvania’s CNI rate continue
• The CNI tax rate has been reduced by 25% (2.5 percentage points) since 2022

MORE MONEY IN PEOPLE’S POCKETS

Retirees

• A long overdue cost-of-living adjustment for our hometown heroes – teachers, police, and firefighters

Farmers

• $10M for Pennsylvania fruit growers who were impacted by an April freeze that cost them millions
• Pennsylvania fruit farmers have suffered losses estimated between $150 and $200 million, following a historic hard freeze in April that decimated blooming apples, peaches, cherries, and plums
• It’s estimated that farmers lost 70% to 90% across many fruit crops- the damage is unlike anything many growers have seen in their lifetimes

Higher Education & Workforce

• $419M for the PHEAA State Grant Program to reduce cost of college
• $59.9M for Ready to Succeed Scholarships
• Increases the household income limits from $200k to $208k for eligibility
• $42.5M for Grow PA Scholarships, a $10M increase over last year
• $2.83M for Bond-Hill Scholarships at Lincoln University, a $1M increase over last year
• $6.98M for scholarships through the Cheyney University Honors Academy, a $1M increase over last year
• $2.5M to address the nursing shortage through the Nursing Shortage Assistance Program
• $3M to reduce tuition for Optometric students in Pennsylvania
• $16.3M for apprenticeship and job training programs in L&I

Student Teachers

• $40M total for student teacher stipend – a $10M increase over last year so students can get paid for their full-time, unpaid student teacher requirement to complete their degree
• $90M invested in this program over the past 3 budgets

Child Care Workers

• $30M for childcare worker retention bonus, a $5M increase over last year
• This new funding will provide recruitment and retention bonuses for over 55,000 child care workers estimated at $540 per worker

ECONOMY & INFRASTRUCTURE

$775M for local roads and bridges throughout Pennsylvania

• One-time funding to expedite road and bridge projects that have already been planned in communities across Pennsylvania

Growing the biotechnology/life sciences industry through Innovate in PA 2.0

• The program will generate up to $125M:
  • Provide capital for venture funds that invest in early-stage companies
  • Invest in a pipeline of executive leadership for the life sciences and biotech industries
  • Expand support for clinical trials
  • Develop and expand programs to leverage federal funding opportunities and support research universities, the innovation workforce, and technology startups
  • Offer competitive grants to seed and scale regional venture studios in rural areas

$23.7M for investment in historically disadvantaged businesses, a $3.75M increase over last year

SAFE COMMUNITIES

• $62.15M for Violence Intervention and Prevention Programs to reduce violence in our communities.
• Over $220M invested in this program over the last 4 budgets

$10M for Non-profit Security Grant Program to provide security against hate crimes

$35M invested in this program over the last 4 budgets

• $16.231M for 4 new State Police cadet classes (480 cadets)

$4.5M to Crime Victim Services and Compensation fund from Medical Marijuana Program Fund

Increase maximum loan amounts for Fire & EMS companies