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In this Update:

• Consul General of Ireland in New York Visits PA Capitol
• Senate Acts to Cut Taxes and Put PA Families First
• Senate Votes to Support Victims Over Murderers
• Reducing the Backlog in PA Rape Kit Testing
• Cutting Red Tape for Charities 
• Bridgeville Day on the Avenue
• Tribune Review: “Shaler Couple Faces New Charges over $30K in Unpaid Ambulance Bills”
• Protecting Health Services & Facilities in PA
• Providing Discounted Fishing and Hunting Licenses to Law Enforcement
• Why Do PA Energy Costs Remain High?
• Month of the American Soldier
• Abbey Care Grand Opening
• Ensuring Veteran Access to Psilocybin-Assisted Therapies for PTSD
• Your Input Wanted on Statewide Transportation Improvement Program 

Consul General of Ireland in New York Visits PA Capitol

I was proud to welcome the Consul General of Ireland in New York, Gerald Angley, and Deputy Consul General, Katie Daughen, to the Pennsylvania Senate this week! They traveled to Pennsylvania to meet with legislators, department secretaries, and other Pennsylvania state government officials.

To learn more about the impressive diplomatic experience these dignitaries have earned throughout their career, watch my introduction of them as guests on the Senate floor here.

They joined members of the Pennsylvania-Ireland Trade Commission for our quarterly meeting to discuss how we can continue to grow the relationship between Pennsylvania and Ireland. We were very glad to have their expertise and input!

At this meeting, we approved the creation of an official Pennsylvania-Ireland Trade Commission Facebook page. Follow our Facebook page here for updates on the Commission’s work to strengthen Pennsylvania-Ireland relations.

Following the meeting, Pennsylvania-Ireland Trade Commission member, Eugene Cosgrove, received his official commissioner’s medal to recognize his service on this important board. We’re proud to have Eugene working with us to strengthen the connections between Pennsylvania and Ireland.

Gerald and Katie had the opportunity to meet my colleagues in the Pennsylvania Senate chamber this week, including our Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Joe Pittman (R-41).

We also connected with Pennsylvania Auditor General Tim DeFoor to discuss how he works to ensure Pennsylvania government runs efficiently and taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.

Finally, thank you to Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Russell Redding for stopping by our meeting of the Pennsylvania-Ireland Trade Commission this week to meet our special guests. Both Pennsylvania and Ireland boast rich agricultural heritages worth sharing with each other and the world!

Thank you again to Consul General of Ireland in New York, Gerald Angley, and Deputy Consul General, Katie Daughen, for coming to the PA Capitol this week. I look forward to continuing to work together to grow Pennsylvania’s relationship with Ireland!

Senate Acts to Cut Taxes and Put PA Families First

The Senate approved legislation to dramatically decrease costs for Pennsylvania families by cutting taxes on electric bills and school supplies, strengthening the state’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program, and eliminating the current sales tax exemption for data centers.

Making up the largest tax cut in Pennsylvania history, the proposal would eliminate the gross receipts tax on electric bills and require utility companies to pass the reduction on to consumers, saving ratepayers more than $1.7 billion over the first year. It would also implement a two-week sales tax holiday in August for school supplies, such as book bags, crayons, textbooks, and tablets.

The highly successful EITC program, which provides scholarships to help families send children to schools that best meet student needs, would receive an additional $25 million under the legislation, bringing the total to $705 million. EITC scholarships remain one of our top priorities for empowering Pennsylvania parents.

House Bill 1667, as amended by the Senate, would also respond to concerns being raised across the commonwealth by eliminating the existing sales tax exemption for data centers.

The Senate action aims to provide greater affordability at a time when hardworking Pennsylvania families are feeling the strain of rising costs. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives.

Senate Votes to Support Victims Over Murderers

The Senate approved legislation to update Pennsylvania’s sentencing laws for second-degree murder following a recent Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling. The bill now advances to the House of Representatives, which must act quickly.

Without legislative action, Pennsylvania’s existing sentencing structure for second-degree murder would be invalidated, creating uncertainty for victims, prosecutors, and the courts. More than 1,150 individuals currently serving sentences for second-degree murder could be affected.

Under Pennsylvania law, second-degree murder, often called felony murder, applies when someone dies during the commission of certain serious crimes, even if the defendant did not directly cause the death. In March, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the automatic life-without-parole sentence for second-degree murder was unconstitutional. The ruling takes effect July 24.

Senate Bill 1400 creates a new sentencing framework that complies with the court’s ruling while ensuring those involved in serious crimes remain accountable. The bill allows judges to consider an individual’s role in the crime when determining a sentence, while maintaining strong penalties for offenders and protections for victims. Read more about this effort to safeguard communities here.

Reducing the Backlog in PA Rape Kit Testing

For years, Pennsylvania has worked to reduce the backlog of untested rape kits and to ensure survivors of sexual assault are treated with the urgency and dignity they deserve.

We passed a 2024 law to move forward with a statewide sexual assault evidence tracking system so survivors can better understand where their kit is in the process. However, language in the law allows a local law enforcement agency to determine whether a kit should undergo DNA or other forensic analysis. This creates inconsistency from one jurisdiction to another.

Senate Bill 1212 removes that discretionary language and helps establish a clear, statewide expectation that sexual assault evidence that has been collected and has not yet received DNA or other appropriate forensic analysis should be treated consistently. The measure was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Read more about the latest action to reduce the backlog in rape kit testing here.

Cutting Red Tape for Charities 

The Senate voted to update charitable financial reporting requirements to better reflect the resources of nonprofits. The change would ensure transparency without imposing an unnecessary burden that undermines the charity’s mission.

Senate Bill 1183 would update the level of financial review required for charitable organizations based on the amount of annual contributions they receive. Reviews range from independent CPA audits for larger nonprofits to no reviews or audits for smaller ones. The thresholds have not been updated since 2017.

The bill was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration. Read more about updating charitable audit requirements here.

Bridgeville Day on the Avenue

Last weekend, my staff and I participated in Bridgeville Day on the Avenue. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the festivities, and it was a great way to kick off summer!

See more photos from the event here.

Tribune-Review: “Shaler Couple Faces New Charges over $30K in Unpaid Ambulance Bills”

Instances like this are exactly why I’ve introduced legislation to establish a fair and direct reimbursement rate for mandated 911 emergency medical services – regardless of whether the EMS provider is in the insurance network or not.

EMS providers deserve to be paid fairly and quickly for services rendered, period.

Read the full article from the Tribune-Review here.

Learn more about the bill here.

Protecting Health Services & Facilities in PA

The Senate Institutional Sustainability & Innovation Committee met this week to advance legislation to protect Pennsylvania health services and facilities by providing the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General with the tools needed to look after the interests of consumers. 

Learn more about the legislation here.

Providing Discounted Fishing and Hunting Licenses to Law Enforcement

In gratitude for the service of police officers across our commonwealth, the Senate approved legislation to provide current and retired law enforcement with discounted hunting and fishing licenses.

Under Senate Bill 469, law enforcement officials would be able to acquire each license for $1.

It may be a small gesture, but discounted licenses can help the men and women patrolling our communities take a break from a stressful job and enjoy the outdoors. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. Read more about Senate Bill 469 here.

Why Do PA Energy Costs Remain High?

A topic I hear about often from constituents is skyrocketing electric rates. Here’s what’s driving this frustrating trend:

Pennsylvania is the number one exporting state in the nation for net electricity. We’re the energy hub for the 13 states that are part of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland grid, known as PJM.

Without Pennsylvania’s reliable energy sources, including natural gas, coal, and nuclear power, states like Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia would literally be in the dark. They don’t produce nearly enough reliable baseload power for their own needs.

The Shapiro Price Cap
Last year, a lawsuit by Gov. Josh Shapiro led to a grid-wide price cap of $330 per megawatt day. Pennsylvania had been paying about $270 per megawatt day in the capacity market. Virginia was paying $444 and Maryland was paying $466 per megawatt day.

With Gov. Shapiro’s price cap in place, every state is now paying the same: $330 per megawatt day, meaning Pennsylvania families and employers are paying MORE than they were before the cap, while people in Virginia and Maryland are paying LESS.

If we want lower electricity rates, we must require other states to generate their fair share of reliable baseload power or pay more to help keep the PJM grid viable. Click here to read more about why energy costs remain high for Pennsylvanians.

Month of the American Soldier Resolution

I was proud to join my fellow veterans this week in the Senate in introducing a resolution to designate June 2026 as “Month of the American Soldier” in Pennsylvania. This designation will honor the generations of Pennsylvania soldiers whose valor and devotion to duty have shaped the course of American history. 

Learn more about the resolution here.

Abbey Care Grand Opening

Congratulations to Abbey Care on the grand opening of their Pittsburgh offices! Abbey Care is a Medicaid-based program supporting eligible family caregivers who provide care to loved ones from home. Welcome to our community!

See more photos from the ribbon cutting here.

Learn more about Abbey Care here.

Ensuring Veteran Access to Psilocybin-Assisted Therapies for PTSD

June 27 is PTSD Awareness Day. While PTSD can afflict anyone with trauma, veterans are especially susceptible. That is why I’m proud to partner with Sens. Pennycuick (R-24) and Bartolotta (R-46) to sponsor legislation to ensure veterans can access treatment for service-connected PTSD and Treatment Resistant Depression (TRD) with promising low-dose, psilocybin-assisted therapies.

Early clinical trial data has demonstrated that low-dose psilocybin-assisted treatments, when conducted in a controlled clinical setting with a licensed and trained physician, have shown remarkable promise in helping patients. These therapies have exceptional success rates in helping patients achieve healing and lasting recovery, with some clinical trials reporting over 75% of participants experiencing symptom remission. 

Our proposal will amend Pennsylvania’s Right-to-Try Act to offer lifesaving psilocybin-assisted therapies to veterans. The act will require psilocybin treatments to be administered under strict clinical supervision. This proposal will also automatically align Pennsylvania’s scheduling with any future federal rescheduling of psilocybin. These provisions will only take effect if the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reclassifies psilocybin from a Schedule I controlled substance, or issues a waiver authorizing its use. 

Learn more about the legislation here.

Your Input Wanted on Statewide Transportation Improvement Program

The 2027 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), a list of transportation projects identified for funding statewide, is available for public review and comment through June 30.

The STIP is made up of 24 regional Transportation Improvement Programs and a variety of additional programs. It is updated every two years after the regional programs are submitted and approved, and will be adopted as part of the 12-Year Program update by the State Transportation Commission in August.

You can review the plan and submit your comments here.

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