While the House may not be in session, my team and I have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming legislative year. Over the past few weeks, while I have been going back and forth between Harrisburg and the district for legislative hearings and meetings, my District Office staff has been diligently working to deliver excellent constituent services and help me get ready for budget season. Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 22 – Today, on the 51st anniversary of the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Roe v. Wade , state Rep. Tarik Khan, D-Philadelphia, hosted a news conference at the state Capitol announcing the introduction of legislation regarding abortion rights. Rep. Khan was joined by fellow legislators and abortion-rights advocates. The legislation aims to remove unnecessary obstacles to safe abortion access by eliminating the requirement that abortion facilities meet the same regulations as ambulatory surgical centers. It would also remove the excessive mandate that abortion providers maintain admitting privileges or have transfer agreements at hospitals, which only blocks access to care. The legislators who have also prime-sponsored Khan’s bill are state Reps. La'Tasha D. Mayes, D-Allegheny; Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery; Mary Issacson, D-Phila.; Gina H. Curry, D-Delaware; Melissa Shusterman, D-Chester; Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester; Tara Probst, D-Monroe/Pike; Heather Boyd, D-Delaware; Liz Hanbidge, D-Montgomery; Leanne Krueger, D-Delaware; and Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia. "As a nurse, I know that restrictive abortion laws do not lower abortion rates — they just make them less safe," Khan said. "We must remove any unnecessary requirements from facilities that provide this care. Our bill increases access to safe abortion by increasing people's access to safe abortion Read more
On Monday, my team and I participated in Aidan’s Heart Foundation’s MLK Day of Service event. We joined students, school officials, and members of the community for a CPR & AED training as well as a community resource fair with representation from county agencies, nonprofits, and service organizations. Read more
On Thursday, the Basic Education Funding Commission voted 8-7 to approve a report submitted by the Democratic members of the commission, which held 11 public hearings throughout the fall of 2023 to receive testimony on Pennsylvania's public education system. Read more
2024 Calendar Read more
I hope that you enjoyed your holidays and were able to spend some time surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones. As we begin a new year, I wanted to take a moment to share and reflect on some of the work my legislative colleagues, my staff, and I have accomplished in the past year. Read more
As we near the end of 2023, I want to pause to wish each of you the peace and love of the season and hope for the new year ahead. While 2023 has been filled with many challenges, I am certain there is nothing we cannot accomplish when we work together as a community for the common good of all. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 19 – State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, today announced nearly $1.8 million in state grant funding has been approved for sewer upgrade projects in the 155th Legislative District she represents. “These investments are needed to maintain our sewage systems, remove pollutants and repair flooding damage,” Otten said. “As our municipalities work to meet the challenges of higher operating costs, outdated systems and a growing population, I’m grateful to see these funds going toward the necessary upgrades to improve services for local residents.” Otten advocated for the following projects under the Department of Community and Economic Development’s H2O PA and PA Small Water and Sewer programs: $1,034,688 to Upper Uwchlan Township Municipal Authority for its Milford Farms Sanitary Sewer Extension project. The project includes installing sanitary sewer line and a pump station in the township. $259,089 for Upper Uwchlan Township Municipal Authority for its Eaglepointe Wastewater Treatment Plant Conversion Project. The project includes converting a wastewater treatment plant to a pump station and adding force main in the township. $498,958 for Caln Township Municipal Authority for the installation of a sewer main along Granger Lane and Caln Meeting House Road in the township. Otten joined state Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, in encouraging Read more
It seems that at the end of every week of session, I find myself coming back to the district and sharing with all of you what a busy week we had in Harrisburg. But when I tell you that “this week was a busy week,” I mean, “this week was a very busy and very productive week!” This week had a little bit of everything – early committee meetings, informative public hearings, heated budget negotiations, long session days, and late-night votes. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 15 – State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester, marked several significant legislative achievements in Harrisburg this week, with committee hearings on two of her bills, another legislative proposal signed into law, and the passage of a resolution recognizing native Pennsylvanian Taylor Swift for her recent selection as TIME magazine’s Person of the Year. Otten also applauded several of the legislature’s collective accomplishments, as the General Assembly passed tax code and fiscal code bills containing multiple provisions to support working families. On Wednesday evening, the General Assembly passed and Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law a school code bill authorizing funding for Otten’s student-teacher stipend program, which allocates $10 million in funding to help alleviate the statewide teacher shortage by providing stipends of up to $15,000 for prospective teachers during their student teaching semester. Otten’s proposal first passed the House in June with strong bipartisan support, and her proposal language was included in the state budget. “Student teaching stipends are an essential step in both addressing our teacher shortage and supporting every aspiring educator in Pennsylvania so they can join the workforce fully prepared to teach upon graduation,” Otten said. “I am excited to see this program enacted into law so that we can provide our student teachers Read more
State Representative Danielle Friel Otten, state Representative Christina Sappey, and state Senator Carolyn Comitta released the following joint statement regarding immediate and ongoing efforts to secure and prevent access to the Downingtown Trestle Bridge until Chester County can take possession of the property and long-term plans for the bridge can be addressed. “Our hearts go out to the entire Downingtown community in mourning those who have lost their lives on the Trestle Bridge. We continue to work to bring together partners and agencies to permanently and effectively secure the bridge. Please know that we share the public frustration and grief at the tragic loss of young lives at this site. And we continue to do all we can to advance and facilitate steps to secure it. Previously, we worked to facilitate the transfer of the bridge from Norfolk Southern to PennDOT. As a result, Chester County is now in a position to acquire the bridge and rail line, which has been a goal for some time. For many years, the bridge was owned by Norfolk Southern and unfortunately was allowed to fall into disrepair. Upon taking ownership of the bridge, PennDOT took (and continues to take) steps to secure it and prevent potential hazards, including having earlier replaced the mesh netting and removed the boulders that were suspended over the road. Until the transfer of ownership happens, PennDOT is working to install a resilient, non-scalable fence that will Read more
The Otten and Hanbidge bill proposes an amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution that would reaffirm and protect every individual’s right of reproductive liberty with respect to personal, sexual, and reproductive healthcare decisions, including the right to choose or refuse an abortion, the right to choose or refuse contraceptives, and the right to choose or refuse fertility care, without discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or relationship status. Read more
On Monday at 10 AM, the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee will hold a public hearing on my legislation HB 1467 – Modernizing Pennsylvania’s Renewable Energy Standards.Raising our renewable energy targets so that more of the energy on our power grid comes from clean, renewable sources would save Pennsylvania residents, businesses, farms, nonprofits, and municipalities money on their utility bills, while creating new family-sustaining jobs and cutting emissions in the process. Read more
In my role as Pennsylvania State Lead for the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (NCEL), I often have the opportunity to learn about climate and energy policy developments from all around the United States. You can read more about that inside. Also, this past weekend, we kicked off the holiday season by supporting some of the many unique and creative shops here in the district on Small Business Saturday. Read more
And just like that, we find ourselves in the midst of the holiday season. After what has been a very busy, and at times hectic, year so far, I look forward to spending some much-needed time with my family over the upcoming holiday weekend. I hope all of you are able to find some time for yourself in the next week, whether it be by turning off your phone, spending time with loved ones, or some personal meditation, and enjoy this time of being thankful for all our blessings. Read more
We passed several good bills in the House this week, including legislation to support striking workers, to protect people who come to Pennsylvania seeking reproductive care, and to provide the first cost-of-living adjustment in more than 20 years to retired teachers and public servants. The House and Senate also sent the governor a bill requiring consent before pelvic, prostate, or rectal exams can be performed on anesthetized patients. Read more
On November 13, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee hosted a public hearing on hydrogen hubs, the role they have the potential to play in meeting the commonwealth's climate goals, and their impacts on surrounding communities. I have been closely following the issues around hydrogen development, and as co-chair of the PA Legislative Climate Caucus, I have hosted numerous briefings over the past year on hydrogen's potential as well as its climate impacts and safety concerns. Read more
It was great to see so many constituents at the polls on Tuesday as voters across the 155th Legislative District carried out their civic duty by voting in the 2023 Municipal Election. I’m grateful to our county election officials and the poll workers in every precinct who helped the process go smoothly. Read more
In 2015, my neighbor Mary knocked on my door to hand me a flyer informing me about a pipeline that would send highly explosive fracked gas liquids through our densely populated neighborhood, just feet from where our children play. Read more
This week, the Pennsylvania House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee held a public hearing on unconventional well setbacks and legislation (H.B. 170) introduced by state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester. Following the hearing, Otten released the following statement and video... Read more
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631 Pottstown PikeExton, PA 19341
P*: (484) 200-8259
F*: (484) 200-8269
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Constituent services available by email, phone, or in-person by appointment. If you need an appointment outside our regular business hours, please call us at 484-200-8259 or email repotten@pahouse.net and we will do our best to accommodate.
122 Wallace Ave.Downingtown, PA 19335-2643
Hours of Operation - Fourth Wednesday of every month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
34 East WingPO Box 202155Harrisburg, PA 17120-2155
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