Cutting Taxes for First-Time Homebuyers | $38K State Grant for Tri-Boro Senior Center in Fairview

Rep. Ryan Bizzarro May 15, 2025

PA Representative Ryan Bizzarro's banner image

MY BILL PASSES WITH OVERWHELMING BIPARTISAN SUPPORT

In response to skyrocketing mortgage rates and a drastic decrease in the number of first-time homebuyers, the House passed my bill to cut taxes for people looking to buy their first home.

My bill, House Bill 818, would allow first-time homebuyers to deposit money into a designated savings account exclusively for the purpose of purchasing their first home. Account owners would be able to deduct that money from their state income tax. Money deposited into these accounts can be used to pay the down payment and closing costs for the purchase of a single-family home in Pennsylvania. Read more here.

My bill now heads to the Senate for further consideration!

$38K FOR TRI-BORO SENIOR CENTER

Community centers are vital to helping our seniors continue living at home while giving them a place to interact with other seniors, participate in programs, and access community resources. This money will help the community center in Fairview upgrade its facility, making it a more welcoming and inclusive place for all. Read more here.

SEEING FAMILIAR FACES

The folks at Junior Achievement of Western PA were in Harrisburg this week - they help young people develop skills in financial literacy, entrepreneurship and get them ready to enter the workforce. I'm grateful for the opportunity to support them and the next generation of leaders.

HOW WE VOTED

This week, the House passed my bill to cut taxes for first-time homebuyers, but it was just one of many measures under consideration.

We also passed the Voter Rights Protection Act, cleaning up the mess of the prior GOP-majority that established no-excuse, mail-in voting but failed to deliver when it came to administering state elections. This legislation standardizes ballot drop boxes for all 67 counties. It establishes early voting, allowing PA to join 47 other states that offer it. It creates post-election audits, updates vote-by-mail deadlines, and allows election officials to prepare mail-in ballots to deliver faster election results.
The House voted to require health insurers to cover diagnostic breast examinations.
We voted to establish the PA Medical Debt Relief Program, a program to help patients avoid medical debt.
We voted to allow borrowers to purchase mortgage discount points to lower their interest rate and monthly payments.
We supported veterans and increased pensions for PA vets who have been blinded, survived amputation or suffered paralysis during their military service.
We increased penalties on contractors who cheat on their taxes when they classify full-time workers as independent contractors – denying workers the benefits and pay they should have received.
We established the Keystone Saves Program, a voluntary program that allows small businesses and small-business employees to save for retirement.

See how the House voted for each bill here.

ROUTE CHANGES

News courtesy of the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, route changes will take place June 7, 2025:

Route 33 - Presque Isle Express
Route 20L - Cultural Loop
Route 105 - Corry
University Services Routes 18, 19 & PennWest Edinboro Express will no longer run at the end of each university’s semester.

The Presque Isle Express is FREE and runs Wednesdays & Saturdays until Aug. 22.

Read more here.

POLICY COMMITTEE WORK

As a member of the House Majority Leadership team, I serve as Chairman of the House Majority Policy Committee. We travel the state, exploring issues and talking to members of the community, workers, advocates and experts on a variety of topics. We examine issues to see if there is a legislative solution to improving lives across the commonwealth. We have hosted 21 hearings across 14 ZIP codes in 7 counties so far this year, and we expect to host 100+ hearings this session – which is our typical workload.

This week, the Policy Committee and Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus hosted a joint hearing on the funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

UP NEXT: State Rep. Mandy Steele hosts a hearing on severe weather, outages and what we can prepare for in the future on Wednesday in Allegheny County.

READY TO HELP YOU GET YOUR REBATE

My office helped more than 1,200 people receive their Property Tax & Rent Rebate last year. This state program helps older Pennsylvanians, widows, widowers and people with disabilities recover a portion of what they paid in property taxes or rent during the previous year. Contact us if you have questions or need help applying. Please remember, no appointments are necessary, if you need assistance stop by or contact us!

My office in Millcreek Township is located in Peninsula Plaza at 1101 Peninsula Drive, Suite 213, Erie, PA 16505. We are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

SAFEGUARDING OUR SCHOOLS

When private for-profit schools and their dark money backers came after Fairview and Millcreek School Districts to siphon off taxpayer dollars to make a profit off taxpayers. I stopped them. We need to protect our high-performing schools!

My team and I deliver for local people & projects. We cut the red tape in Harrisburg to secure the support our region needs.

When our schools need funding ...
When our police officers need a new vehicle to preserve lives ...
When our firefighters need funds for life-saving equipment ...

We delivered to the tune of more than $92 million during the 2023-24 legislative session.

MY TEAM IS IN FAIRVIEW EVERY WEDNESDAY

I wanted to remind folks that my team and I hold Wednesday office hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairview Township Building, 7471 McCray Road, Fairview, PA 16415.

The cornerstone of my office is service to you, our neighbors. By holding office hours at the township, we're making it easier for folks to reach us, so we can help them.

MONTHLY VETERANS SERVICE PROGRAM

On the third Thursday of each month, my team and I are proud to host a Veterans Service Officer from the VFW to be available to members of our community.

I am happy to help provide this assistance to our area veterans, who have sacrificed so much for our nation. The next appointments will be:

Thursday, May 15
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1101 Peninsula Drive
Reserve a spot: 814-835-2880

MULTIPLE WAYS WE CAN HELP

Do you or does someone you know need help accessing state programs or services? Have a question about a state program or law and don’t know where to go? My team and I stand ready to help on a range of issues, including:

Unemployment or the PUA system.
FREE notary (excludes title transfers).
Property Tax/Rent Rebates for seniors.
Voter registration and vote by mail.
Problems with the Department of Human Services (food stamps, medical and income assistance).
Car registrations, special tags, handicap placards, titles and driver’s license applications.
Information on financial assistance for higher education.
Obtaining and completing state forms of all kinds.
Birth and death certificates.
Pennsylvania income tax questions or problems.
Complaints or questions about utilities and the Public Utility Commission.
Complaints and problems with insurance companies.
Renewal of state-issued licenses or certifications.
Problems or questions about the state lottery.
PACE cards for senior citizens.
Consumer complaints.

For help, or to speak with me or a staff member about an issue, please don't hesitate to contact my office.

MY TEAM & I CAN HELP YOU!

Helping people apply for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and all the PennDOT services they need are just two of the ways my team and I serve the community. We help thousands of people each year. We can help you fill out the forms you need and get them to Harrisburg for FREE.

If you have any state government-related questions, stop by and let us help you.

SUBMIT REQUESTS ONLINE OR IN PERSON

My team and I are always working for you! My Millcreek office at 1101 Peninsula Drive, Suite 213, Erie is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can also call 814-835-2880 or email RepBizzarro@pahouse.net if you need help with state government concerns.

Have questions outside of office hours? We have an online form – the Community Help Center – so that you can submit your request(s) for help with state-related programs and services 24/7. This form is available by clicking below or visiting my website – www.repbizzarro.com.

REP. BIZZARRO'S COMMUNITY HELP CENTER