April 2 Email: My Family Care Act has passed the House

Rep. Jennifer M. O'Mara April 3, 2026

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Dear Neighbor,

I’m thrilled to report that the House last week approved The Family Care Act, my bipartisan bill to create a family and medical leave program in PA. H.B. 200 would support working families by offering paid leave that would ensure workers don’t have to choose between their job and their family’s well-being after the birth of a child or during a serious illness. It would also strengthen small businesses that can’t afford to offer this benefit to their employees.

While federal law provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, paid leave remains elusive for many people in most states. Nearly 4 million Pennsylvanians, or 66 percent of our workforce, lack access to paid family and medical leave.

More than a dozen states have already enacted paid family leave. That’s why I’m championing this critical legislation for the working families and small businesses in Delco and across our state. H.B. 200 now moves to the Senate, and you can do your part by contacting the offices of Senate leaders and urging them to pass it for our working families and small businesses.

You can read more about the House vote here and watch my remarks in the House chamber here:

Office closed for Good Friday

In observance of Good Friday, my district office will be closed on Friday. I wish everyone a Happy Easter on Sunday!

Delco Delegation opposes PECO rate hike

I am among the Delco House members opposed to the latest proposed rate hike by PECO. On Monday, PECO filed a request with the PA Public Utilities Commission to significantly increase gas and electric rates beginning next year. On average, these rate hikes would cost families an additional $20.08 per month for electricity and $14.52 per month for natural gas.

This is not the time for a rate increase like this. If granted, it would mark PECO’s third rate increase in the last four years, and with costs rising across the board in 2026, we need to put people first, not profits. Read more about the Delco Delegation’s reaction here.

You can also make your voice heard about the proposed rate hike by signing onto this petition: Make your voice heard on PECO's proposed rate increases.

Rallying for equal pay

I was proud to participate in the Rally for Equal Pay at the state Capitol last week. We are advocating for HB630, which passed out of the House in June and is awaiting consideration in the Senate Labor & Industry Committee. This legislation will prohibit employers from paying workers less because of their gender, race, or ethnicity and protect employees from retaliation in any wage discrimination matters.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, in 2023, women in Pennsylvania were paid an average of 80.9% of what men were paid. Our state’s pay gap trails not only the U.S. average but also five of our six neighboring states. To attract and retain our workforce and ensure women can support their families, we need to make sure that all Pennsylvania workers receive equal pay for equal work.

Watch my remarks at the rally here.

My education bills advance in House

Two of my bills cleared the House Education Committee last week and now advance to the full House.

H.B. 830 would require schools to notify parents and legal guardians when their child is involved in or experiences bullying. While some schools do this, the law does not require it. As a result, many parents are left in the dark when their child is involved in a school bullying incident.

H.B. 2269 would remove an administrative burden on PHEAA. It would repeal a section of the Public School Code pertaining to an inactive program, the Medical Loan Assistance Program, which has not been utilized for approximately 25 years. Removing outdated provisions will promote clarity and remove unnecessary reporting requirements.

Election deadlines: Make your voice heard

Pennsylvania will hold primary elections on May 19, so it’s time to consider how to make your voice heard. First, make sure you’re registered—you have until May 4.

If voting in person doesn’t fit your schedule, PA offers dependable vote-by-mail options. The deadline to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot is May 12. Allegheny County recently approved ballot-return sites for voters to return a mail-in ballot without relying on the mail, and you can read more about them here.

Get more info on voting by mail at www.pa.gov.

Join us for our annual Apprenticeship Fair!

Sen. Kearney and I are once again hosting an Apprenticeship Fair for seventh-grade students and up. It will be Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 8 p.m. at DCIU’s Morton Campus. This event will focus on exposing the student attendees to different career opportunities, including jobs in the trades and labor industry. Parents can register their children for the event by visiting this link: https://www.senatorkearney.com/event/apprenticeshipfair/

A local conversation about Black Maternal Health

The Delaware County Health Department is hosting an upcoming conversation on the important and often overlooked issue of Black maternal health. It will be April 16 at 1929 W. 9^th St., Chester. The discussion will center on the real experiences of Black mothers, share resources, and explore ways we can better support Black mothers before, during, and after birth.

To register, call the Delaware County Wellness Line at 484-276-2100.

Food Drive for Impacted Federal Workers

Due to the ongoing partial government shutdown, my office is once again teaming up with PHL Airport to collect food for their food bank. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, you can drop off dry goods at my office to benefit federal workers who are currently going without pay. The most needed items include: nuts/seeds, spices, syrup, coffee/tea bags, rice, pasta, pasta sauce, condiments, canned goods (vegetables, beans, soup, fruit, stock) cereal, oatmeal, pancake and muffin mix, peanut butter, nut butters, cooking oils, granola bars, meal kits (Hamburger Helper, etc.), canned meats, bread, crackers, tortillas, baby food, baby formula, and juice boxes.

Tax season reminder: new tax credit for workers who need it most

?With tax season here, I encourage eligible workers to take advantage of new state tax credits championed by Gov. Shapiro and House Democrats that deliver meaningful tax relief to those who need it most.

Eligible taxpayers can now claim the Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit (WPTC), created in the 2025-26 budget which I supported last year. Modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), the WPTC can provide up to $805 in tax relief.

The credit is expected to deliver $193 million in tax savings to approximately 940,000 Pennsylvanians this year. Anyone who qualifies for the federal EITC automatically qualifies for the state credit, helping to put more money back into the pockets of working Pennsylvanians. Visit pa.gov/wptc for more information and to check eligibility using an online calculator.

I filmed a short video reminder about the tax credit which you can watch here.

Marple’s Easter Egg Roll

For a fun community Easter Event, check out the Marple American Legion’s Easter Egg Roll. It will be Saturday, April 4, at 12 p.m. at 1 N. Malin Road.

Drop off children’s books at my office

My office is participating in a local children’s book drive to help put books in the hands of Delco children. We are a drop-off site for the Delco Book Bank’s Easter Basket and Summer Reading Book Drives. Feel welcome to drop off new or gently used children’s books at my office!

Share your feedback on PennDOT winter services

PennDOT is seeking feedback on their winter services in our communities. Through the anonymous survey, available through April 14, respondents can share their thoughts on PennDOT’s performance this winter season, how they receive PennDOT roadway information and if they use the state’s 511PA traveler information services.

The survey also hits subjects like timeline expectations for safe and passable roadways, as well as how locals rank snow-removal priorities. The survey includes 17 questions and should take about five minutes to complete.

To respond to the survey, click this link.

Welcoming two new women House members—and making history

Last week we welcomed two new representatives to the PA House: Rep. Jen Mazzocco from Allegheny County and Rep. Ana Tiburcio from Lehigh County. We now have 65 women in the 203-member chamber—the most women lawmakers in the history of the state House!