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The latest news from the State Capitol |
In this Edition:
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Scrutinizing Paper Statement Fees |
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2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Now Open |
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HCAR Leading the Way |
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Applications for 2025 Pennsylvania House Scholarship Available |
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Museum Grants Available |
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Test Homes During Radon Action Month |
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Rich Strike Comes to PA |
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Attention College Students: House Fellowship Program Taking Applications |
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PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday |
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Scrutinizing Paper Statement Fees
State Reps. Arvind Venkat (D-Allegheny), Rob Matzie (D-Beaver) and I have introduced legislation that would ban entities from assessing an additional fee to customers who request a print version of a financial statement.
Such fees are as high as $5 per month, and House Bill 81 would also specify that any person or entity would still be allowed to create incentives for a consumer to select an alternative to a paper statement.
Charging fees for consumers who want to use paper statements for bank or credit card statements is an unnecessary, frustrating burden that becomes a tax on regular Pennsylvanians.
Federal law allows companies to switch customers to electronic statements, but consumers must give their explicit consent to do so. Federal law is silent on the issue of whether consumers can be asked to pay to continue paper statements.
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2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program Now Open
The application period for the state’s 2024 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program is now open for eligible Pennsylvanians to begin claiming rebates on property taxes or rent paid last year.
Income limits increased again this year to $46,520 for both homeowners and renters. This is due to a 2023 law I supported that calls for adjusting the income limit based on annual increases in the Consumer Price Index. Remember to exclude 50% of Social Security when determining your income. The maximum rebate is $1,000.
The program is open to residents aged 65 years and older; widows and widowers 50 years and older; and people with disabilities 18 years and older.
Remember – you do not need to pay anyone for assistance to apply for the rebates. Apply online at mypath.pa.gov, or contact my office for help. Additional information about the program is available here. Call my office at 717-534-1323 if you want to have a printed booklet mailed to you once they are available.
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HCAR Leading the Way
Legislators from Dauphin County toured the Hershey Center for Applied Research this week to learn about the cutting-edge medical research happening. Their innovation will mean improved treatments and outcomes for patients with cancer, blood disorders and other serious conditions.
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Applications for 2025 Pennsylvania House Scholarship Available
High school seniors interested in receiving financial assistance to help pay for college can now apply for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Scholarship.
Each year the program awards a four-year scholarship to two students preparing for post-secondary education. It is open to graduating high school seniors who are Pennsylvania residents with plans to attend a Pennsylvania college, university or career school as a full-time student.
To qualify, students must have attained a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average in high school. Other factors taken into consideration for the awards are a student’s commitment to community, leadership qualities, extracurricular activities and financial need.
The scholarship program is administered through the Foundation for Enhancing Communities. Click here for more information and an application. The deadline to apply is April 15.
The scholarship is privately funded by individual and corporate donors; no tax or other public funds are used. Scholarships are awarded through an independent panel of judges chosen by the foundation.
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Museum Grants Available
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) has opened the Keystone Historic Preservation Grant Program to help fund local projects that identify, preserve, promote, and protect historic and archaeological resources in Pennsylvania for both the benefit of the public and community revitalization.
Applicants can apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000, with a total of $2 million available from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.
Two categories of grants—construction and planning—are available for historic resources in Pennsylvania that are listed, or eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places. Applicants may apply for only one type of grant.
For this year’s grant round, PHMC will give special consideration to proposals that advance one of the America250 themes and align with the United States Semiquincentennial celebration in 2026. Applicants will be required to explain how their project aligns with one of the themes.
Grant applicants can find more information here.
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Test Homes During Radon Action Month
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging Pennsylvanians to test their homes for radon during National Radon Action Month. Radon is responsible for an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year in the United States.
DEP recommends all homes, schools, and public and private buildings get tested for radon, and it suggests that the best time to test is during the colder months.
Radon test kits are also available at many home improvement and hardware stores, as well as from Pennsylvania-certified radon laboratories. Radon test kits typically cost approximately $20-$30. Completed test kits are sent to a Pennsylvania-certified lab where the sample is analyzed, and the results are sent to the home or building owner. Homeowners are also able to hire a state-certified radon testing company to do the testing for them.
The public is encouraged to call DEP’s Radon Division at 717-783-3594, or the Radon Hotline at 800-237-2366, for help with interpretation of their test results and what follow-up action may be necessary.
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Rich Strike Comes to PA
Mountain Springs Farm near Grantville hosted a stallion showcase last Saturday to introduce thoroughbred breeders to Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (chestnut), who moved to Pennsylvania a couple days earlier to stand at stud. Also participating in the showcase were Enticed (dark bay) and about seven other stallions. Pennsylvania-bred horses receive prize incentives at Penn National and other Pennsylvania tracks.
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Attention College Students: House Fellowship Program Taking Applications
The Pennsylvania House Legislative Fellowship Program is accepting applications for its summer 2025 semester.
The program is based at Pennsylvania’s Capitol Building in Harrisburg where fellows are assigned to work in House standing committees or leadership offices; are compensated for their work (which may also include college credit); and are provided the opportunities to draft and present their own legislation, attend meet-and-greets with various public officials and staff, and tour some of the Commonwealth’s historic public spaces, to name a few.
Qualified applicants must be undergraduate juniors and seniors, graduate students or law school students; enrolled in a Pennsylvania college/university or a Pennsylvania resident enrolled in an out-of-state institution; and students of any major with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
For more information or to apply, visit www.pahousefellowship.us. Applications can be submitted via email to pahousefellowship@pabmc.net. The deadline to apply is March 1.
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PennDOT Driver License, Photo Centers Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
All PennDOT driver license and photo centers will be closed Saturday, Jan. 18, through Monday, Jan. 20, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Customers may still obtain a variety of driver and vehicle products and services, including all forms, publications and driver training manuals, online through PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov.
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