FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
State Rep. Bill Kortz D-Allegheny www.pahouse.com/Kortz

Reduced registration fee bill passes the state House

HARRISBURG, Feb. 9 – State Rep. Bill Kortz, D-Allegheny, said a bill he co-sponsored that would help retired Pennsylvanians receive a reduced vehicle registration fee passed the state House this week.

Currently, retired Pennsylvanians who receive Social Security, or other pension, and whose total annual income does not exceed $19,200 pay a fee of $10 to cover the costs of processing for issuing or renewing the registration, rather than the regular $36 vehicle registration fee.

The state House passed H.B. 1800, which would exempt federal economic stimulus payments to seniors from counting as income when determining eligibility for the reduced-fee program. Kortz said the bill would ensure those seniors are not penalized when such stipends put their income over the $19,200 limit.

"It's so important that in helping our older Pennsylvanians, we don't inadvertently punish them and keep them out of programs for which they'd otherwise qualify," Kortz said. "This bill does a good job of fixing this problem."

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