HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi today announced that $115,314 in competitive grant funding was awarded to Pottstown School District and Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help augment their career and technical education programs. The schools were awarded the following grants: Pottstown School District – $30,314 Western Montgomery CTC – $85,000 The Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center serves students from the Spring-Ford Area, Pottsgrove, and Upper Perkiomen school districts. “I’m thrilled that the Education Department has recognized and decided to support the Pottstown and Western Montgomery CTC students’ potential through these grant awards,” Ciresi said. “This money will help enhance the career and technical education programs in the Pottstown School District and at Western Montgomery, providing students with the skills and knowledge to obtain high-priority occupations through a combination of classes and hands-on learning experiences. Thanks to this money, students will leave school even more prepared to apply what they learned at school to real-world problems.” Under the program, grants of up to $85,000 are awarded to school entities to update or purchase equipment used in the training of students in Read more
“The bill is simple. If it’s AI, it has to say it’s AI,” Pielli said. “People deserve to know if what they’re looking at is real or not when making purchases. This disclosure will be clear and conspicuous in the same medium as the content generated to help consumers make better-informed and more secure purchases. We also hope to curb possible misinformation by malicious authors who knowingly or recklessly generate and spread this content with the goal of fooling the public." Read more
“As a former court-appointed guardianship attorney, I saw clients who lost their homes as a result of unpaid property taxes,” Pielli said. “Too often, these were individuals with cognitive impairment or those who were otherwise incapacitated and could not pay tax bills without assistance. Tragically, these same individuals sometimes had the financial means but were so impaired that they were unable to keep up with payments. It is simply unfair to have these folks lose their homes. This bill helps avoid the sad occurrence of missed property tax payments for those who are aging and might be suffering from any number of conditions that hinders their ability to regularly pay bills.” Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 7 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi was sworn in to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives today, beginning a new term serving the 146th Legislative District, and was named as majority chair of the House Communications & Technology Committee. “This session I am going to build on my work in the House to fully and fairly fund education, achieve property tax relief for seniors and the middle class, make higher education more affordable and continue to work to restore passenger train service to western Montgomery County,” said Ciresi, D-Montgomery. “I know there is a lot of work to be done to meet these goals in these challenging times. By working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I hope to see this new session as a productive one. “I am proud that in my second term that three pieces of legislation I introduced were signed into law and I brought home $13.8 million in state grant money to the district. In this term, I aim to introduce, support and pass legislation that will build up our educational system, spur our local economies, reduce property taxes and improve our quality of life.” Ciresi’s legislation that was enacted into law was: Act 64 of 2024 to simplify the process of claiming unclaimed property as an heir. Act 29 of 2024 to prohibit companies from charging early termination fees to a deceased person’s family or estate when canceling certain service contracts. Act 60 of 2024 Read more
HARRISBURG, Jan. 7 – State Rep. Dan Williams was sworn in to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives today, beginning his fourth term serving the 74th Legislative District, and was named the majority chair of the House Human Services Committee. “I am proud that the people of the 74th District have once again entrusted me to be their voice in Harrisburg,” Williams said. “I will continue to be a champion in the House for the common good in Chester County and throughout Pennsylvania, fighting to ensure working families have the support they need from ensuring they are paid a living wage to having affordable housing to providing their children with a great education. I will advocate for programs that enable them to keep them in their homes when they retire after a long life of work and sacrifice. “I take seriously the opportunities my position affords me to bring home funding that will improve our roads, increase and improve our healthcare system and support our local businesses, non-profits and municipalities,” Williams said. “Building our communities up, brick by brick, will ensure a better tomorrow for all. A rising tide lifts all boats.” In his fourth term, Williams will be focused on the following issues to improve the quality of life in the 74th District: Continued repairs and repaving of area state roads. Increasing and improving health care options in the 74th District. Support and funding for local Read more
State Rep. Regina Young, D-Phila./Delaware, was sworn in to office today for the 2025-26 legislative session, launching her third term as the state representative for the 185th Legislative District in the PA House of Representatives. Young took the oath of office administered by PA Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Todd in the House Chamber at the State Capitol in Harrisburg. Read more
HARRISBURG, Dec. 12 – Members of the Chester County state legislative delegation are pleased to report a state and federal investment in keeping the Chesapeake Bay Watershed clean from its tributaries in Chester County. The Chester County Conservation District was awarded more than $67,000 in funding directed by the Department of Environmental Protection. "Investing in cleaning the waterways that flow into the Chesapeake Bay is more than an environmental effort – it's a commitment to safeguarding a vital ecosystem, supporting local economies and preserving a legacy of natural beauty and abundance for generations to come," said state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-Chester. The DEP awarded grants through the 2025 Countywide Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Grants to county teams across Pennsylvania’s share of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. “Stormwater runoff and agricultural runoff remain leading sources of water quality impairment in Chester County and Pennsylvania,” said state Sen. Carolyn Comitta, minority chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee. “These investments will help prevent pollution and restore and protect the local watersheds that are crucial to environmental health, public health, and the strong quality of life in our communities.” Pennsylvania has made historic progress in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Earlier this year, the Read more
"This project is important to Bucks County, not only in terms of education and research, but also in promoting economic growth and sustainability," said Rep. Brennan. Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 22 – State Rep. Christina Sappey, D-Chester, today announced that bipartisan legislation ( Act 146 of 2024 ) to better protect victims’ pets in domestic violence situations has been signed into law. The bill (H.B. 1210), introduced by Sappey with state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, R- Allegheny/Washington, amends Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse Act to give judges the ability to order defendant to refrain from possessing, abusing or harming a petitioner’s companion animal. Previously, Pennsylvania’s Protection from Abuse Act gave judges the ability to order many kinds of relief to prevent further abuse but did not give explicit authority to order protective measures for a victim’s pets. “We have known for some time the horrific link between domestic violence and animal abuse, Sappey said. “Abusers will use harming pets to further torment the victim or keep them from leaving, exacerbating an already traumatic situation.” According to the Humane Society of the United States, data on domestic violence and child abuse cases reveal that a staggering number of animals are targeted by those who abuse their children or spouses. In one survey, 71% of domestic violence victims reported their abuser also targeted pets. Researchers have found links between coercive control and the abuse of pets, with abusers often using family pets as leverage in the torment of their victims, threatening to harm or kill Read more
“I am excited for this new opportunity,” Pielli said. “West Chester University houses some of the best and brightest students in all of Pennsylvania. I consider this a great honor to be chosen as the next legislative fellow. Describing the storied history of the legislature is no easy task, but I look forward to tackling this challenge together with the students of Dr. John Kennedy’s class.” Read more
State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara will commence her second term as chairwoman of the Pennsylvania House Democrats’ powerful Southeast Delegation. Read more
“We know families that experience financial hardships will do whatever they can to survive, living with relatives by couch surfing or spending nights in a car to stay together at all costs,” said state Rep. Gina H. Curry, who represents portions of Delaware County. “Homeless youth oftentimes go undetected, with parents unwilling to reveal their financial struggles out of the fear protective services will break up their family. That’s why we suspect this problem is even greater than the reported numbers, and it’s one of the driving forces in passing legislation to address this growing population.” Read more
Pa. state Rep. Gina H. Curry spoke on the need to further the resources of schools and agencies to help combat homelessness among the youth of the commonwealth. Curry says that changes need to also be made to shelters as many will not take in unaccompanied minors, leaving them to fend for themselves in the end. Read more
Mirmont received a grant of $250,000 that will support their facilities enhancement project. Nemours received two grants in amounts of $260,000 and $192,5000 for their Care Closets and Maternal and Newborn Kits programs. Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 12 – After nearly a decade of legislative efforts to create a study on conservation corridors, state Reps. Mary Jo Daley and Jason Ortitay said today that their offices have examined The Current Status of Conservation Connectivity in Pennsylvania , which was completed by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee and released this summer. The study was conducted as a result of the adoption of H.R. 87 by the House of Representatives, and the fall season represents an important time to highlight the report. Conservation corridors, also known as wildlife corridors, are paths that join two or more areas of wildlife habitat, allowing for safe passage from one area to another, typically via over- and underpasses on roads but also through waterways and wetlands. The purpose of the study was to determine how best to preserve and reconnect habitats, reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions, and maintain and enhance Pennsylvania as one of the nation’s top destinations for outdoor recreation. “With deer becoming more active, and Daylight Saving Time ending, deer move most during these times, and that should serve as A reminder to look out more closely,” said Daley, D-Montgomery. “It’s also a good time to relate the findings of Pennsylvania’s study on its crossing corridors.” The LBFC’s report notes that Pennsylvania led the country in animal-collision Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 1– State Rep. Joe Ciresi, D-Montgomery, and state Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, R-Montgomery/Berks, announced today that they secured $2.5 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants for projects in Montgomery County. “This $2.5 million in capital funding for Pottstown and Limerick will improve the quality of life in our district by restoring and expanding business operations to a disused historic building in Pottstown, improving transportation infrastructure in Limerick, and building up our area’s pharmaceutical and sustainable energy sectors,” Ciresi said. “This money will create jobs in our district, strengthening our district’s reputation as a thriving economic area.” “I am thrilled to see that these projects were approved. This funding will have a significant impact on our regional economy by creating high-paying jobs and expanding our local transportation network to allow for a more efficient movement of people and goods,” Pennycuick said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with my fellow legislator, Rep. Ciresi, to secure these grants for our constituents.” The grants awarded are: Downtown Pottstown Job Retention and Creation Initiative Montco Tech Center, LLC Pottstown Borough $500,000 RACP funds will be used for construction to renovate the old Harp Taxi Building, a Read more
HARRISBURG, Nov. 1 – State Rep. Dan Williams, D-Chester, today announced that he secured $1 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grants for projects in the 74th Legislative District. Read more
The Delaware County House and Senate Delegation stands united in full support of Attorney General Michelle Henry’s civil lawsuit against Prospect Medical Holdings. This aggressive action is crucial to hold accountable a company that has repeatedly placed profits over the health and well-being of Delaware County residents. Read more
HARRISBURG, Oct. 25 - State Rep. Williams, D-Chester, said today he was proud to report state investments to protect people who could be vulnerable to acts of hate. The following organizations received awards from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Domestic Violence Center of Chester County $70,000 Masjid Al Rahman of Chester County Inc. $25,000 “Every Pennsylvanian deserves the right to feel safe, whether in their own home or in their space of worship,” said Williams. “This funding will go to proven measures that deter violence at home and be targeted towards specific religious communities, and help foster a community that continues to stand up to hate. I applaud the administration for protecting people in harm’s way, and I look forward to supporting this life-saving program in future budgets.” PCCD administers the Nonprofit Security Grant Fund Program , which has provided $25 million in funding to more than 580 organizations since its inception. This latest, seventh round of grants will go to 208 nonprofit organizations, including 102 organizations that had never received funding through this program. More information about the 208 selected applicants, the county served and award amounts can be found on the PCCD website . Read more
“Resolving family law disputes through court proceedings can be a bitter and financially ruinous process,” Shusterman said. “The partner with deeper pockets and access to the best legal counsel often has an advantage, frequently placing children in the middle of drawn-out legal battles. This law will give families another option to settle disputes, which can be especially helpful in matters of domestic violence as arbitration can lead to quicker resolutions." Read more
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