|
||||
|
In this Update:
Bills to Fund Local Bridge Repair Set to Become Law
Maintaining safe and reliable transportation infrastructure is a core function of government. I’m pleased to report that two bills I’ve championed, which help counties fund the repair and replacement of municipal bridges, have received full legislative approval and are now headed to the governor’s desk. I’m thankful for strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate. For more, please see the full press release. Fighting for Affordable Energy
Rising energy costs have put added pressure on Pennsylvania families and businesses and must be addressed. This legislative session, I made it a priority to prevent new energy taxes and support energy development that strengthens reliability and helps bring costs down. As part of the 2025-26 budget agreement, I worked with my colleagues to eliminate Pennsylvania’s participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) – a multi-state pact that would have added more than a billion dollars in new electricity taxes. I also supported Senate passage of legislation eliminating the gross receipts tax on electric bills, which would save ratepayers more than $1.7 billion over the first year. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives never approved the tax cut we added to House Bill 1667. Because lack of energy development drives up costs, the Senate passed legislation to reduce Pennsylvania’s electric generation shortfall and expand energy development. Senate Bill 704 directs the state departments of Community and Economic Development and Environmental Protection to work together to identify suitable sites for natural gas electric generation projects. The House also failed to act on this measure. I will continue fighting for lower energy prices, supporting policies which will cut your costs. Senate Votes to Provide Lifetime No-Contact Orders for Victims
A measure to provide lifetime no-contact orders for victims of certain serious or violent offenses was approved by the Senate. Under current law, victims must go to court to renew no-contact protections each time they expire. Without renewal, an offender may once again attempt to contact the victim, even though the conviction, and the harm that made the protection necessary, has not changed. Unwanted contact can retraumatize victims, especially survivors of rape and other sexually violent offenses, including offenses involving the abuse or exploitation of children. Senate Bill 1484 allows a judge, upon the request of the victim or prosecutor, to issue a permanent order prohibiting the defendant from contacting the victim. The order could be terminated or modified at the victim’s request or if the underlying conviction is overturned, dismissed or otherwise legally invalidated. Read more about this bill, known as “Kayleigh’s Law.” Senate Bills to Help Local Nonprofits Are Now Law
Two bills were signed into law this week to help local nonprofits, including American Legion posts, VFWs and fire companies, by expanding fundraising opportunities, allowing organizations to retain more of the money they raise and providing additional ways to accept raffle ticket payments. Senate Bill 416 would allow eligible nonprofit organizations to accept electronic payments, including credit cards, debit cards and payments through platforms such as PayPal and Venmo, for raffle tickets. Current law limits these transactions to cash or checks, restricting organizations’ ability to accommodate supporters who increasingly rely on electronic payment methods. Organizations would still be required to verify raffle ticket purchasers are at least 18 years old. The bill does not authorize online gaming or live drawings. Read more about Senate Bill 416. Senate Bill 398 would allow fire companies with a Small Games of Chance license to conduct online raffles, with restrictions ensuring that participants are in Pennsylvania and at least 18 years old, through a pilot program ending Dec. 31, 2027. In addition, the bill would permit organizations to retain 50% of their small games of chance income, up from the current 40%. The remainder would continue to be donated to public interest purposes. The bill would also increase the prize limit for small games of chance conducted by a licensed eligible organization in any seven-day period from $35,000 to $60,000 — the first increase since 2013. Read more about Senate Bill 398. New Law Protects Animals from Painful Experimentation
Legislation to protect dogs and cats from painful, taxpayer-funded experiments has been approved by the General Assembly and signed into law. The protections in Senate Bill 381, the Beagle Bill, would make Pennsylvania the 18th state to grant dogs and cats an opportunity to be adopted into a loving home after experiments are over, prohibit the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals, prevent the expenditure of commonwealth funds on painful experiments and more. Read more about protecting animals and increasing transparency through the Beagle Bill. Stronger Reporting Requirements for AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material
The Senate voted to better protect young people against the serious threats posed by child sexual abuse materials generated using artificial intelligence (AI). The legislation has now been signed into law. House Bill 2474 would require mandated reporters to report all instances of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) they become aware of, including those produced by a minor. This applies to teachers, childcare workers, healthcare providers and other individuals responsible for caring for children. The legislation, which was introduced in April, mirrors the language in Senate Bill 1050, a bill the Senate passed in November 2025. The legislation also adds hazing to Pennsylvania’s mandatory reporting guidelines. Hazing is not currently considered child abuse under Pennsylvania law when one child commits that crime against another. Read more about this legislation. Legislation Supporting Local Police Receives Bipartisan Senate Approval
I’m pleased to report that my bill, SB 509, received strong bipartisan support from the full Senate this week. It would bring Pennsylvania into alignment with every other state in the country by permitting local radar as an optional speed enforcement tool for municipalities while implementing built-in protections such as:
This bipartisan bill will help to keep our kids and neighbors safe on community roadways. Area Students Recognized at the Capitol
It was an honor to host members of the back-to-back State Champion Cumberland Valley Girls 4×400 relay team at the Capitol this week! Their impressive time of 3 minutes, 48.88 seconds earned well-deserved team gold at the 2026 PIAA Track and Field Championships. Please join me in congratulating Vanessa, Sophie, Coach Hockenbery, and the entire Cumberland Valley relay team on this outstanding accomplishment!
I was proud to welcome the EP Robotics Team to the Capitol and introduce them to my Senate colleagues. This impressive group participates in the FIRST program (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). The program is recognized globally and challenges students to design, build, and program robots while developing engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. In their first year of competition, EP Robotics advanced to the 2026 Mid-Atlantic District Championship and finished ranked among the top third of robotics teams worldwide. Congratulations to all! Supporting Career Awareness and Technical Education
This week, we celebrated Pennsylvania Career Awareness Day at the Capitol. I was glad to join local students and school administrators for an event promoting career planning and development. Career and technical education not only prepares students for a wide variety of high paying, in‑demand jobs, it can help to keep our young people and skilled workers here, making meaningful contributions to our communities and our economy. The students I met with were impressive, focused, and excited about the opportunities ahead of them! Around the District: Halifax, Silver Spring Twp., Shippensburg and Carlisle
I appreciated the opportunity to join PA State Rep. Joe Kerwin at Halifax VFW Post 5750 this week in honoring all who have served our great nation. It was a pleasure to recognize, visit with, and thank our veterans for their commitment to defending our freedom.
I was glad to help celebrate the opening of Phase 2 at Silver Spring Township’s Paul Walters Memorial Park! New facilities include pickleball, tennis and basketball courts, walking trails, pavilions, restrooms, parking and an emergency access road. Check out the details on the township’s website. The park honors Corporal Paul Walters, a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and Silver Spring Township police officer who was killed in the line of duty in 1975.
It was great to be at Shippensburg University for homecoming! I was honored to assist with the official coin toss and always enjoy cheering on our Raiders.
I was glad to see such a great turnout for “Pink Out in the Park” in Carlisle this week, walking and running for a cure! Thanks to everyone involved in organizing this meaningful event to benefit the PA Breast Cancer Coalition! It was an honor to participate. How PA Makes Breast Cancer Detection and Care Accessible
Pennsylvania has two significant laws to make early breast cancer detection and follow-up care more accessible. Act 1 of 2023 is a comprehensive breast cancer supplemental screening and genetic testing law now fully in effect for individuals with increased risk factors who are insured under Pennsylvania law. It provides coverage for the following at no cost:
Act 52 of 2025 is a diagnostic breast imaging law that includes no-cost diagnostic mammograms, breast MRIs and ultrasounds for individuals of average risk or higher with state-regulated insurance. The law will be fully implemented by January 2028. When in full effect, it will provide coverage for the following at no cost:
|
||||
|
||||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2026 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://senatorrothman.com | Privacy Policy |
