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In this Update:

• Pennsylvania Has New Tools to Solve Violent Crimes
• PA College Savings Fees Waived for Fifth Straight Year
• State Budget Boosts College Tuition Assistance
• Cutting Red Tape for PA Cosmetology Professionals
• Booking a Tour of Your State Capitol
• Helping Families Find Hope in Recovery
• Thank You to Our Summer Interns!

Pennsylvania Has New Tools to Solve Violent Crimes

Law enforcement agencies will be able to access new tools to boost clearance rates for homicide and other violent crime cases through a new state law. 

The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act was enacted with the new state budget. This law establishes a grant program administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to help police hire and retain detectives and investigators, and upgrade technology used to analyze evidence.

Solving more violent crimes will help make communities safer by getting offenders off the streets while also serving as a deterrent to would-be criminals who know their crimes will not go unanswered.

PA College Savings Fees Waived for Fifth Straight Year  

Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity announced asset-based fees for the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program’s Guaranteed Savings Plan (GSP) will be waived for the fifth year in a row.

PA 529 GSP account owners will not see any asset-based fees on their quarterly statements for July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, resulting in $5.9 million in savings. This fee waiver is funded through surplus earnings of the GSP fund.

The PA 529 GSP allows families to save at today’s tuition rates to meet tomorrow’s tuition costs. Account earnings are based on tuition inflation rates.

State Budget Boosts College Tuition Assistance

The recently passed state budget increases the maximum PA State Grant award for the first time in four years, helping students across the commonwealth and their families pay for higher education.

For the 2026-27 fiscal year, the maximum award is $6,000, up from $5,750, the amount it’s been for four years. The funding is administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).

Each year, PHEAA’s board reevaluates the awarding formula by analyzing several factors, including tuition costs, the effect of inflation on family incomes, the number of expected applicants and recommended funding for the program as part of the annual budget process. Read more about the PA State Grant program here.

Cutting Red Tape for PA Cosmetology Professionals

Legislation to streamline licensing for the cosmetology workforce has been signed into law, a significant step in addressing Pennsylvania’s ongoing workforce shortages.

Act 43 of 2026 authorizes Pennsylvania to join the Cosmetology Licensure Compact, an interstate agreement that makes it easier for licensed cosmetologists — who provide treatments for hair, skin and nails — to obtain a multistate license and work in participating states without unnecessary red tape. It also ensures cosmetology professionals in active-duty military families face no burdensome licensure requirements in compact states.

Pennsylvania is the 13th state to enter the compact, joining neighboring states Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Read more about this new law here.

Booking a Tour of Your State Capitol

Summer is a great time to tour your state Capitol, a National Historic Landmark featuring Renaissance designs, paintings, stained glass and furnishings by some of the best artisans in the world.

Scheduling in advance is recommended, but walk-ins are welcome according to availability. Tours take approximately 30-45 minutes and are limited to 40 guests total per tour. Self-guided tours do not take place on weekends and holidays.

More than the seat of Pennsylvania’s government, the Capitol is a magnificent symbol of the hopes and vision of the commonwealth that gave birth to a nation. Find details and book a tour here.

Helping Families Find Hope in Recovery

This week, my office joined Department of Drug and Alcohol Secretary Latika Davis-Jones, county officials and constituents at Sara’s House of Hope in Wormleysburg.

Sara’s House of Hope is a nonprofit ministry and Family Recovery Center offering education, support groups, and compassionate care to those impacted by a loved one’s substance use or loss. Founded in memory of Sara Mishler—who passed away from an overdose in 2015— the Center’s mission is to help, heal, and strengthen families with grace, truth, and community.

Learn more about the services Sara’s House of Hope provides to families here.

Thank You to Our Summer Interns!

We were fortunate to host two exceptional legislative interns this summer–coincidentally both named Nathan!

Nathan L., from Perry County, and Nathan W., from Cumberland County, both helped with research, constituent service, events, and legislative functions. We’re grateful for their contributions and willingness to dig into complex projects and issues on behalf of constituents.

They were truly outstanding; I can’t wait to see what the future holds for each of them! I wish them both the very best as they head back to college in the coming days.