My bill is heading to the governor’s desk! (Plus, budget updates and Team Carroll in the community)

Rep. Andre D. Carroll July 17, 2026 | 1:47 PM

Dear Neighbors,

I am so excited to write to you in this email with TWO exciting legislative updates!

My barbershop bill, HB 1646, has passed both the House and the Senate, and is heading to the desk of Governor Shapiro to be signed into law!

This bill would simplify the Board of Barber Examiners to ensure that it operates smoothly and in a timely manner, by making a simple change to set a board meeting quorum as a “majority of members of the board” rather than a specific number. Of the 29 state licensing boards and commissions under the Department of State, 19 already use the “majority” phrasing instead of a set number.

I am also THRILLED that we finally have a smart spending plan in place thanks to our 2026-27 state budget that was finally passed and signed this past week.

This budget, we have made significant educational investments for students all over the commonwealth.

Public education investments include:

$565 million in adequacy and tax equity funding, ensuring every school district receives at least a $50,000 increase, consistent with last year’s investment.
$100 million for school safety and mental health grants for public schools.
$20.7 million in targeted school safety grants for nonpublic schools.
A $58 million increase in Basic Education Funding.
A $55 million increase in Special Education Funding, including $5 million dedicated to extraordinary special education expenses at brick-and-mortar charter schools.
A $10 million increase for Career and Technical Education.
Nearly $5 million in additional funding for Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs.
A $41 million increase for Early Intervention services for children ages 3 to 5.
$10 million through the State-Related University Performance Fund.
Flat funding for public libraries and community colleges.

I am always going to fight for a more equitable education system, and for funding that helps our next generation of leaders, doctors, public servants, teachers, and everything in between!

Always in service,

Rep. Andre D. Carroll

Team Carroll in the Community

On July 11th I attended G-Town's Second Saturday Gathering at Wyck House Museum, where I presented a Preservation Grant Check to Wyck House Museum. This is a free museum right here in our community which has objects that have been saved for over 300 years. Thank you Wyck House for preserving this historic space. Thank you to Germantown CDC for helping bring our neighbors together every Second Saturday of the month! Super grateful to have community partners like you in our district!

On July 11th, I was having a ball at the Danny Rumph Cookout. This was a great event brought together in efforts to strengthen community bonds for all ages. We got to enjoy delicious cookout food, live entertainment, and great community resources. So happy I came to support and I can’t wait to continue to support you in the future!

Hey Neighbors, I have some great news for you! One of the biggest issues my office has been having is neighbors getting parking tickets from PPA when they stop in the office for state assistance. Now you no longer have to worry!

With the help of district Councilmember Cindy Bass and PPA interim ED Greg Roberts, all the parking meters in front of my office have been removed! I hope this makes your experience at my office a little bit better!

Get Excited! 2Raree will be at Belfield Day!! Belfield Day will bring all the good vibes you’re looking for this summer! Great food, great people, and wonderful performances from special guests like 2Raree. I can’t wait to be there with you from 11-3 PM on July 25th.

If you have any questions about Belfield Day, feel free to reach out to Belfield Rec or my office at 215-849-6592.

On July 7th, Team Carroll volunteered at The Belfield Food Giveaway! Happy to contribute to the community any way we can. My office loves to support our community, and get out and see the faces of all our neighbors!

On July 8th, I spoke at the Historic Germantown visitors ribbon-cutting! This place preserves the history of this great community. I'm so happy it is now open for our neighbors and city visitors to enjoy and learn. Make this one of your museum stops on the second Saturday of the month, located at 5279 Germantown Ave.!

July 14th, we said goodbye to our intern Sofia, who is going off to work at a law firm nearby. We were so grateful to have her, and we can't wait to see all the wonderful things she goes off to do. Thank you for spending time with us, we hope you come back and visit!

On July 12th, I received a Community Leadership Award at the Second Annual Germantown High School Sisters with an Agenda Community Day. This was a great event with great vibes, great vendors, and great people! It was great being at my alma mater once again and getting to support some local businesses along the way. Thank you, Sisters with an Agenda for all of your efforts in bringing together our community! I can't wait for next year's already.

On July 13th, I stopped by Lonnie Young Rec Center for their Summer League. This was a great visit as I got to enjoy some good hoops and meet NFL Player and Germantown native Eric Gentry. If you have time and you love sports, make sure you stop by The Lonnie Young Summer League games Mondays and Wednesdays from 6-9PM at Lonnie Young Rec Center!

On July 10th, I had the opportunity to visit the Chester County Youth Center as part of our first Children and Public Safety Caucus site visit. Seeing the juvenile justice system in the Commonwealth firsthand was an invaluable experience. We learned about how the center operates, met with staff, and had thoughtful discussions about current policies and ways we can continue to improve outcomes for young people in the system. A special thank you to Rep. Carol Kazeem and Rep. Heather Boyd for serving as Co-Chairs of the caucus alongside me. I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen our juvenile justice system and better support Pennsylvania’s youth.

On July 14th My office held a Housing and Estate Planning event. This was an informative community workshop about estate planning, fraud awareness, and city/state level programs for housing awareness. Happy to be joined by community partners like Archwell Health, Affordable Housing Center of Pennsylvania, and Community Legal Center. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and to Capacity Church for allowing us to use their space!