PA SENATE DEMS ON
TEACHERS, NURSES, MOTHERS

THE PA SENATE DEMS HAVE INTRODUCED NEARLY 40 BILLS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS, NURSES, AND MOTHERS

  • Extend rights of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to siblings, grandparents and grandchildren in certain cases

  • Establish the “Pennsylvania Family and Medical Leave Act” to extend the same 12 weeks of leave to employees with domestic partners in this Commonwealth

  • Align the regulations of the Health Care Facilities Act to cover all providers of pregnancy related services

  • Add “severe maternal morbidity” to the list of reportable events within the Pennsylvania Department of Health

  • Prohibit employers from discriminating based on an applicant’s marital or familial status

  • Extend Medicaid coverage to Doulas

  • Establish a statewide family and medical leave insurance program
  • Require certain employer-sponsored insurance plans to cover infertility services
  • Recognize May 26th as Fourth Trimester Care Awareness Day

  • Designate January 23, 2024 as “Maternal Health Awareness Day” in Pennsylvania

  • Provide scholarship to students pursuing careers in nursing and healthcare at a community college in PA

  • Require employers in the Commonwealth to provide paid time off for employees’ children’s school activities, such as parent-teacher conferences and medical appointments

  • Create a new Educator Pipeline Program within the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)

  • Amend the qualifications of a teacher by adding that Department certified or permitted teachers who hold a valid immigrant visa, work visa, or valid employment authorization document which allows them to work in the United States are eligible to teach in the public schools of the Commonwealth

  • Establish a “Grow Our Own Educators” Program in Pennsylvania

  • Increase the minimum teacher salary

  • Ensure student-teachers are paid during their student teaching program

  • Expand access to high-quality health care by removing archaic restrictions on Advanced Practice Registered Nurses

  • Establish the Patient Safety Act, ensuring safe patient limits

  • Create a smoke-free environment for Pennsylvania’s healthcare workers
Stats & Facts

MOMS

MATERNAL HEALTH

  • In 2022, over 12% of Pennsylvania women had zero access to birthing hospitals within 30 minutes. In Pennsylvania’s rural areas, the situation is even more dire with 47% of rural PA women living further than 30 minutes away from their nearest birthing hospital. (Source: March of Dimes)

BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH

  • In 2020, Black women accounted for over 25% of pregnancy-associated deaths in Pennsylvania while only accounting for 19% of pregnancies. (Source: PA DOH)

MATERNAL MENTAL HEALTH

  • In a study by the Pennsylvania Health Access Network, 75% of respondents reported needing some form of mental health care during the postpartum period, and yet only 19% reported receiving all of the mental healthcare they needed. (Source: ThrivingPA & PHAN)

CHILDCARE

  • The average cost of high-quality childcare in Pennsylvania is over $20,000 a year. The average cost of base-quality childcare in Pennsylvania is nearly $14,000 a year. (Source: American Progress)

TEACHERS

  • The average teacher starting salary in Pennsylvania is $49,000. Pennsylvania ranks #12 in the nation, but we can do better. (Source: NEA)
  • This year, 90.6% of school districts reported their staff experiencing burnout. (Source: PSBA)
  • 74% of school districts report that their teacher shortages have negatively impacted their educational programs, with 17% reporting a significant negative impact. (Source: PSBA)
  • PA schools are experiencing widespread staffing shortages. 40.8% of districts are experiencing a shortage in regular education teachers, 67.2% are experiencing shortages in special education teachers and staff, and 87.5% are experiencing shortages in substitute teachers. (Source: PSBA)
  • The greatest need for teachers is in special education, with 73.3% of school districts in need of special ed teaching certifications. However, secondary-level math and science teachers are in high demand across the state, with 41.1% and 39.3% of school districts in need of those certifications respectively. (Source: PSBA)
NURSES
  • In 2022, PA had 137,970 registered nurses. This equates to 10.64 nurses per 1,000 PA residents. (Source: NurseJournal)
  • The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that registered nursing jobs will grow 6% over the next 10 years, which is faster than average.
  • According to research conducted by the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Health Outcomes and Policy Research, nurse staffing on med-surg units in PA hospitals averaged 5.6 patients per nurse and ranged from 3.3 to as many as 11 patients per nurse. (Source: PSNA) The recommended staffing ratio for medical–surgical units is 4 patients per nurse. (Source: NNU)
  • The likelihood of death increases 7% for each additional patient in an RN’s workload above the safe nurse-to-patient ratio. (Source: NNU)
  • Safe staffing ratios are associated with a significant reduction in occupational injuries and illnesses among registered nurses working in hospitals. Safe staffing ratios also were associated with a decreased risk for workplace violence. (Source: NNU) Safe staffing promotes the safety of patients AND nurses.