(Approved by voters)Īct 1 of 2021 (Pittman) amends the state Fiscal Code to allocate $569.8 million for Rental and Utility Assistance, $197 million for education programs, and $145 million to support Pennsylvania’s struggling restaurants and taverns as they cope with the devastation created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Governor’s mandated closings and restrictions.Īct 21 of 2021 ensures all waivers previously effective under the COVID-19 emergency will remain in effect until Sept. Ward) provides for three amendments to the state Constitution: excluding measures terminating disaster emergency declarations from having to be presented to the governor, requiring legislative approval of emergency disaster proclamations beyond 21 days, and prohibiting the denial of equal rights on the basis of race or ethnicity. Moving from Pandemic Response to Recovery We proudly take up that responsibility in the new session and offer our fellow citizens an alternative vision of freedom and prosperity.
In 2021-22, Senate Republicans carried out our duty to stand between Pennsylvania families and an overreaching, overtaxing executive branch.
We continued to support veterans and military members and their families who answered the call to defend our nation, among other legislative accomplishments. We also acted to enhance local emergency response by passing an array of measures to support police, fire and EMS personnel, including a package that will help local volunteer fire companies recruit and retain members. Senate Republicans also championed several measures to improve health care and renew the fight to prevent tragic drug overdose deaths. Our schools were greatly impacted by the pandemic and lengthy closures, and some of the more important education measures we passed were those that got students back into the classroom after the pandemic, expanded educational opportunity and better prepared students for success. To aid crime victims, we enacted three new laws that will help protect them from being targeted again, give them a greater say in criminal proceedings and help them recover restitution from offenders. Recognizing that economic prosperity is threatened in unsafe communities, Senate Republicans held public hearings over the summer of 2022 examining rising crime rates and hearing from law enforcement officers on ways to restore order. Other steps taken to expand job growth included establishing the Pennsylvania Economic Development for a Growing Economy (PA EDGE) tax credit program and other targeted initiatives directly linked to creating family-sustaining jobs for Pennsylvanians. On the economic front, Senate-passed budgets not only shielded Pennsylvanians from tax increases, they cut the Corporate Net Income Tax to attract employers to Pennsylvania, modernized expense deductions allowing small business owners more flexibility and tax planning opportunities, and provided tax incentives for small businesses to grow and invest in Pennsylvania. When the governor refused to act, we voted to terminate the pandemic emergency declaration and end the governor’s power to close employers, limit occupancy, suspend state statutes or issue stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19.We put constitutional amendments on the ballot that will prevent emergency overreach again by a governor. Further emergency financial resources covered education programs, rent and utility assistance, and support for Pennsylvania’s struggling restaurants and taverns as they coped with the devastation created by the pandemic and the governor’s mandated closings and restrictions. To bolster our health care response and keep Pennsylvanians safe, the General Assembly allocated $225 million in federal funding for hospitals and frontline health care workers. Click here to view all passed legislation.ĭuring the 2021-22 legislative session, Senate Republicans led the effort to transition Pennsylvania from COVID-19 pandemic response to helping residents and employers get back to normal, productive lives. In the 2021-22 Legislative Session, we’ve passed these key measures to further Senate Republican priorities on behalf of Pennsylvanians.
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