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In this Update:

• Youth Safety Caucus Unveil Priorities
• Appointed to Serve on Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Board
• Senate Republicans Announce Priorities and Principles for 2023-24 Session
• Committee Votes to Eliminate Costs for Genetic Testing and Breast Cancer Screenings
• Senate Urges President Biden to Restart Keystone XL Pipeline
• Homeowner Septic Program Helps Cover Cost of Septic Systems, Sewer Hook-ups

Youth Safety Caucus Unveil Priorities

This week, along with fellow co-chair Rep. Natalie Mihalek (R-40) and caucus member Rep. Dan Miller (D-42), we discussed key priorities of the bipartisan, bicameral Youth Safety Caucus for the 2023-24 legislative session.

Key priorities include:

• Keeping families intact by requiring the use of community-based services instead of incarceration whenever it is consistent with public safety and the needs of the youth.
• Holding young people accountable, while enabling them to learn from their mistakes and grow up into responsible and productive members of the community.
• Pursuing evidence-based policies that improve outcomes, reduce recidivism and strengthen public safety for everyone.

Legislation drafted by the Youth Safety Caucus will create policies that expand diversion, eliminate fines and fees, limit out-of-home placement and detention, strengthen educational outcomes and reduce adult prosecution of Pennsylvania’s children.

Appointed to Serve on Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency Board

To help address financial barriers to higher education, I was appointed this week to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) by President Pro Tempore of the Senate Kim Ward (R-39).

I am excited to help make college more affordable and accessible for Pennsylvanians, which will prepare them for quality, family-sustaining jobs. Higher education costs have become increasingly cumbersome for far too many families, but PHEAA helps limit the financial burden they face.

The General Assembly created PHEAA to provide affordable access to higher education for students and families in the commonwealth. The agency has evolved into one of the nation’s leading providers of student financial aid services, including the state-based student loan program, PA Forward. PHEAA also serves millions of students through guaranty, servicing, financial aid processing and other programs.

Senate Republicans Announce Priorities and Principles for 2023-24 Session

With the two-year legislative session getting into full swing, I joined colleagues this week in announcing Senate Republican priorities and principles for 2023-24.

Our legislative efforts will be focused on protecting jobs, empowering families and defending freedoms.

Protecting Pennsylvania jobs requires a comprehensive approach that includes ensuring energy independence, promoting workforce development and continued improvement of our infrastructure.

Empowering Pennsylvania families means providing healthy and safe communities, addressing mental and behavioral health needs, and guaranteeing access to high-quality educational opportunities.

Defending freedom means keeping government out of the lives and pockets of citizens as much as possible, and instilling confidence in the electoral process.

Senate Republicans will build on our successful efforts last session that were focused on:

• Improving the state tax structure
• Redesigning higher ed
• Modernizing workforce development
• Creating new tax credits to generate jobs
• Improving broadband, water and transportation infrastructure
• And more

Senate Republican leaders discussed our 2023-24 priorities and principles here.

Committee Votes to Eliminate Costs for Genetic Testing and Breast Cancer Screenings

Legislation I’m co-sponsoring to eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for genetic testing of hereditary cancer syndromes and supplemental breast screenings for women with a high lifetime-risk of developing breast cancer took a step toward Senate passage this week.

Senate Bill 8, a bipartisan, first-of-its-kind, comprehensive breast cancer screening and testing bill was approved by the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee and is poised for consideration by the full Senate.

Genetic testing often leads to early cancer detection or preventive treatments and procedures. It not only informs the tested individual, but also provides vital information to family members who may have a high likelihood of inheriting a gene mutation.

Senate Bill 8 expands on a 2020 law that secured insurance coverage for breast MRIs by removing any applicable patient copays, deductible and coinsurance for this preventive screening. A supplemental screening is necessary because of failed early detection by screening mammography among women with dense breasts and those at high lifetime risk of breast cancer.

Senate Urges President Biden to Restart Keystone XL Pipeline

I joined with Senate colleagues in passing a resolution calling on President Biden to allow completion of the Keystone XL pipeline to create nearly 60,000 jobs and strengthen our energy independence in uncertain times.

Senate Resolution 9 urges the president to restart and expedite the completion of the Keystone XL pipeline, which had its permit canceled through an executive order on his first day in office.

A report from the U.S. Department of Energy showcased that the construction of the pipeline would have generated between 16,149-59,468 jobs annually and contributed $3.4 billion to the United States Gross Domestic Product. Incredibly, while President Biden blocked American jobs, he waived sanctions on the Russian firm responsible for the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany.

The resolution will now be transmitted to President Biden and members of Congress, including the entire Pennsylvania Congressional delegation.

Homeowner Septic Program Helps Cover Cost of Septic Systems, Sewer Hook-ups

Functioning on-lot septic systems, laterals and connections to a public sewer system are essential for public health but are expensive to repair or replace.

The Homeowner Septic Program offers affordable loans for the repair or replacement of on-lot septic systems and sewer laterals, or a first-time sewer connection from an existing home. The revamped program now features:

• No restrictions on household income
• A streamlined application process
• Loan amounts up to $25,000 for all homes (including manufactured homes)
• No prepayment penalty

The program is funded and administered by Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA).

For more information or to start the PENNVEST application process, homeowners should contact a participating lender or PHFA at 1-855-U-Are-Home (827-3466), then press “0” to be connected with the Customer Solutions Center. Information on the program is also available here. Lenders interested in participating should visit the PHFA website for more details.

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