Crisis grants for volunteer fire and EMS companies due to COVID-19

March 31, 2020

In the near future, I will introduce legislation for a one-time crisis grant program for volunteer fire and EMS companies. Fire and EMS need immediate financial assistance during this pandemic.

This bill will be a COVID-19 Crisis Fire and EMS grant program to provide an additional, one-time grant to each fire and EMS company agency that has been approved by the PA Emergency Management Agency and the Office of State Fire Commissioner for an annual grant for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Exempting CARES Act payments from Certain Income Definitions

March 30, 2020

In the near future I plan on introducing a bill that would exempt money received by individuals from the CARES Act from certain definitions of “income.”

As we all know, Americans who pay taxes will receive a one-time direct deposit of up to $1,200, and married couples will receive $2,400, plus an additional $500 per child. The payments will be available for incomes up to $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for married couples.

I applaud the action by Congress last week to give individuals making under $99,000 a onetime cash payment.  However, with this payment individuals, particular seniors, who rely on a variety of state programs that include a verification of income could lose these benefits when their income is re-certified.

Creating a Common Wealth Fund to Collect Donations to Provide for Essential Needs of those in Need

March 30, 2020

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation to create a “Pennsylvania Common Wealth Fund” restricted account overseen by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. This legislation will provide an additional option to Pennsylvanians who wish to voluntarily give back all or part of the federal stimulus money they receive to help those less fortunate.

While many working Pennsylvanians are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic, facing lost hours or even complete unemployment, others who find themselves in more fortunate circumstances have expressed a desire to help their fellow citizens by either donating to a local charity or patronizing local businesses. By establishing the “Pennsylvania Common Wealth Fund” restricted account, taxpayers could redirect all or a portion of their stimulus check to the state, which in turn would be authorized to direct those funds into programs which help the neediest Pennsylvanians – property tax & rent rebates, temporary assistance for needy families, CHIP or medical assistance.

Child Care Assistance

March 27, 2020

In the near future we will be introducing legislation to support childcare centers, pre-K, and Head Start programs and their hard-working employees affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout Pennsylvania, non-essential businesses have been ordered to close, including many childcare centers. As we fight the spread of COVID-19, we must institute polices to help working families and small businesses and the people that work for them. During this pandemic, it is critical for Pennsylvania to support childcare for essential workers.

Key, but often neglected components of workforce development are early childhood learning and childcare. At this critical juncture, while our economy is teetering on the edge of disaster, we must invest in early learning programs like Pre-K Counts, Head Start and subsidized childcare. These programs are critical to enabling parents to return to work confident that their children are being properly cared for and are receiving the education they will need to succeed in life.

Payment of Contract Services in Schools during the Pandemic of 2020

March 27, 2020

In the near future I plan on introducing legislation that would amend the recently passed Pandemic of 2020 section of the Public School Code to provide all school contractors with the same protections given to school bus transportation services.

We are in unprecedented times. In the flurry to address outstanding issues that arose in schools throughout the Commonwealth since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, employees who provide services to schools through contracts were left out. Thousands of workers across the Commonwealth are no longer getting paychecks for services school districts have budgeted for. Compounding their circumstances, many of these individuals have lost their healthcare coverage.

Eviction Protection for All Disaster Emergencies

March 27, 2020

As we take all possible protective measures to prevent the spread of Covid 19 we must begin to mitigate the economic impacts of the shutdown on our constituents.

With my colleague Representative Mary Isaacson, I am introducing legislation which will make it illegal to evict someone suffering unemployment due to an emergency disaster declaration.

Nothing in this legislation prevents any penalties from occurring or incentivizes tenants who are able to pay through unemployment or workman’s compensation to fail to pay rent, however, it does encourage landlords to work with tenants to get through these emergencies and prevents compounding the issue by increasing homelessness.