We are facing unprecedented challenges as we fight the spread of COVID-19. As the country and the world institute policies and procedures on how to keep our communities safe, our front-line workers continue to operate in dangerous working conditions on a daily basis.  Workers in healthcare facilities, public assistance workers and other direct support professionals, and our first responders, face increased risk to their health as we rely on them to provide life-sustaining services to our communities. 

We must provide front-line workers with the tools necessary for maintaining strong mental and physical health and to mitigate the spread of coronavirus on work sites that are still in physical operation.    

In the near future, I plan on introducing legislation to except funding that individuals receive from the U.S. Government as a result of the recently enacted federal CARES Act from state and local taxation. 

The U.S. Congress took sweeping action last week to provide the U.S. economy a shit in the arm during these difficult times. Included in that action were provisions that would provide a cash payment for those making $98,000 or less. While Congress exempted the payments from federal taxes, it is up to Pennsylvania to decide whether the stimulus payments are taxed under our law. 

My proposal would ensure that these payments are exempt from both state and local taxes. In these trying times, individuals should be able to use their payment to buy food, pay for medication or rent or mortgages, not worrying about saving a portion to pay taxes. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

In the near future, I will be introducing legislation that would designate workers at food processing/protein facilities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as “essential employees” and/or “front line employees” for all matters/circumstances, including but not limited to childcare, safety measures and paid leave to be made available to these workers.

These workers are vital to the food supply chain that nourish and feed our communities. It is imperative that Employers should take the following necessary, preventative actions to protect these workers:

Social Distancing: Employers should make available more space(s) for employees to take their breaks and meal periods. This includes opening up any conference or training rooms as well as temporary accommodations, such as a heated tent. Break times should be adjusted to reduce the number of employees on break at any given time. Table configurations should be changed so that the employees are always facing forward and not across from each other.

I invite you to join me in sponsoring important legislation that will assist our nurses, doctors, EMS, police, firefighters, pharmacists, grocery store employees and so many others are on the frontlines right now. These essential employees are protecting our well-being by keeping our health facilities operating, transporting our vulnerable family members and neighbors to get care, and making sure emergency services available and ensure that we have access to food and necessary goods for our families.

Workers compensation benefits are currently available to them if they get Coronavirus; however, they’re still required to prove that COVID-19 is occurring more in their occupation than in the general population.

Posted: March 25, 2020 02:29 PM From: Senator Christine M. Tartaglione To: All Senate members Subject: Covid-19 Grocery Store Worker Safety Act Grocery stores and drug stores have been designated as essential businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Grocery store...

As protective measures are implemented statewide to protect our constituents from Covid-19 we must also act to protect them from economic fallout as a result of this crisis.

Hopefully, congress will soon pass relief legislation, but the proposed Families First Coronavirus Response Act leaves several holes which my legislation will fill, including the following provisions:

• Emergency paid sick leave for all employees not covered by the federal bill.
• Extending paid sick leave for an additional 4 days to cover the full two-week quarantine period as the federal bill only covers 10 days.

Let’s face facts. Today, the World Health Organization formally declared COVID-19 a pandemic. All you have to do is read the news from Italy and, in our own nation New Rochelle NY, to see the situation which we in Pennsylvania will be faced with in the weeks ahead. The school districts in my area are already calling me, asking for specific direction from the state and reporting concerns with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) guidance to view the need for extended school closures on a “case-by-case basis”. During this health crisis, school districts need the authority to act in a quick and efficient manner.

My proposal would allow each district to deliver online instruction until the end of the 2019-20 school year. While I realize that many districts in the Commonwealth are not equipped to provide online instruction to all students, we have a responsibility to those that can to be allowed to do so. In districts that do not have the capability to offer online instruction, PDE shall, within two weeks of enactment of this legislation, work with those districts to develop a plan for online/alternate instruction.